Everybody Mixed Up Together
by Queenbie78
Summary: A group of friends from Manchester, a pathologist from London and a young engaged couple from York arrive on the island of Sainte-Marie at the onset of a severe tropical storm that results in a mass evacuation. When the young man is murdered the Manchester group end up as suspects and the pathologist assists the local police. Also contains characters from Silent Witness.
1. Chapter 1

Everybody Mixed Up Together

Please note following warnings before reading: -

Possible spoilers for Death In Paradise season 8, Cold Feet seasons 8 and 9 and Silent Witness seasons 20-22.

Contains graphic descriptions of crime scenes and post-mortem.

Possible triggers for sensitive subjects – bereavement, cancer, PTSD, alcoholism, stillbirth, natural disaster.

Chapter 1 – A Not So Happy Holiday

As the 17:30 from London Heathrow began its descent towards Sainte-Marie airport, the 215 passengers were dismayed on looking out the window and seeing grey clouds instead of the bright sunny sky they were expecting. A steward emerged from the staff area at the front of the plane.

'Excuse me' said a young red-haired Yorkshire woman in the front row. 'Is it normal for it to be cloudy here?'

'Um…no' said the steward. 'We weren't expecting this at all. The co-pilot is trying to contact Sainte-Marie to get up to date information on the weather situation. We'll let you know'.

'Thank you' said the woman.

'Oh dear, how bad could it be?' asked the blonde woman next to her in a refined London accent.

'You don't want to know!' answered the steward, causing several passengers to appear anxious. 'To tell the truth, we can very occasionally get violent storms that cause catastrophic damage and bring about the need to evacuate people from their homes and hotels, and they can come on very quickly, but thankfully modern technology allows us to track oncoming storms and take action to reduce potential casualties. So please don't worry, the pilot will divert the plane in the unlikely event that we are in danger!'

'Hey, I didn't pay eight grand for cloudy skies, I expect a refund!' shouted a sullen older man in the row behind.

'Sorry, not my shout' the steward dismissed the man and patiently endured a barrage of expletives.

The two women exchanged glances in shock, then Tiffany, the redhead, focused on the weather again and said 'I don't like the sound of all this'. Tiffany had not noticed her neighbour until now. Having failed to get a seat next to hear fiancée due to their late check-in and being quite shy, she had spent most of the flight watching films on the screen in front of her and listening to music on her iphone.

'I'm sure we'll be fine' Nikki, the blonde woman tried to assure her. The plane suddenly shook with a bit of turbulence giving Tiffany a fright and without thinking she reached for the other woman's hand.

'Honestly, just a little bit of turbulence. It's to be expected in this kind of weather. Nothing to worry about'

'Thanks – you seem so calm! You must fly a lot, do you?'

'Not really, but let's just say I've experienced worse things than turbulence and bad weather'

Tiffany didn't enquire any further, getting the impression her companion would rather not elaborate, but she couldn't help spending the remainder of the flight wondering what kind of experiences this attractive, friendly and intelligent-sounding woman could possibly have had.

Meanwhile, back in row twenty, Tiffany's fiancée Gavin had drawn the short straw and had ended up sitting in the middle of a group of middle-aged friends who had come off the same connecting flight from Manchester as him and Tiffany, and who appeared to have some unresolved differences. Sitting next to him was an apparently carefree man with a Northern Irish accent and at the other side of this man, in the window seat, was an elegant woman who appeared to be either his wife, or quite possibly just his girlfriend as they seemed to be constantly showing each other the kind of affection couples generally display in the early stages of a relationship. The three people in the same row at the other side of the plane seemed have issues with this couple's relationship. Sitting in the window seat was a tall man who seemed to have an air of pride about him despite his unkept appearance with overgrown hair and stubble on his chin. He showed displeasure at every expression of affection that passed between the couple. A jealous love rival perhaps? The couple next to the proud man, who had obviously been together much longer, probably married, and who were less refined Mancunians, discreetly looked at one another and glanced over at the proud man whenever Gavin's closer neighbours kissed or held one another. Gavin could not imagine what was going through their heads or whose side they were actually on.

When the turbulence came, the courting couple instinctively reached for one another and gasped. Gavin was pushed towards the Irishman, bumping shoulders with him.

'Sorry' he said.

'No worries' the man assured him, quickly turning back and smiling at the woman who was now in his arms. The couple's gasps had caused their friends to look over and murmur.

'For Christ's sake, do they have to?' the proud man began to lose his temper, talking in a loud whisper to the couple beside him, clearly getting more irritated with his friends' romantic gestures.

'I can hear you, David!' the Irishman now retaliated for the first time on the flight.

'I think he's just a bit embarrassed about you makin' a noise there!' the other woman explained.

'Why, what's the problem? I thought we had agreed Karen and I could do what we liked and you'd try to accept it?!'

'Oh please don't start this again, Adam, David! There are people all around us!' Karen nudged her man and tried to reason with David and their other friends.

'Well I don't see anyone else having a problem with us!' retorted Adam, taking Karen's hand in defiance.

'I'd just prefer you to be a little more…discrete while I try to come to terms with this'

'Oh, come on!' Adam started to argue again but Karen took his arm.

'Let's just stay calm and try to get on. We will have some time to ourselves while we are here'

'I guess so, Karen' Adam forced himself to calm down.

'I know it's still a bit awkward for you David' said the neutral man. 'But Karen's right. We're about to spend a fortnight together so, um…let's try an' all get along shall we?' he looked at the others, especially Adam and David.

'And I could really do with a restful break without incident after everything I've been through this year' this man's wife added.

'Fine' David opened a newspaper and minded his own business.

'Great' said Karen. 'Goodness, I hope we haven't come all this way to see the cloudy skies we left behind in Manchester!' the whole group then looked out the window, temporarily forgetting their differences.

'What a waste if this is the case!' grumbled Jenny, the neutral woman.

'It's probably a passing shower!' said her husband Pete, in an attempt to be positive. 'By tomorrow we will be on the beach!' Gavin hoped he was right as Tiffany and he had spent almost a year planning their final holiday as an unmarried couple. After this it would be wall to wall wedding planning and no more trips until their honeymoon in Mauritius which would not be for another eighteen months.

Finally, an announcement was made. 'Ladies and gentlemen, we have just been given clearance to land in Sainte-Marie airport just forty minutes behind schedule…'

There was cheering from the passengers who feared being stuck in the sky for much longer if the flight had had to be diverted.

'…The local weather at Sainte-Marie is overcast with heavy rain…'

The atmosphere changed and everyone groaned.

'…and we have to let you know that a storm has appeared on the horizon, currently thirty kilometres to the north of the island, which is being referred to as storm Theodore…'

Several passengers became anxious. 'Don't worry!' Nikki whispered to Tiffany.

'It could hit the island during the early hours of tomorrow morning. The local met office are monitoring the situation and the local authorities are putting arrangements in place in case it becomes necessary to evacuate any homes or hotels'

'Evacuate? Really?!' Jenny was worried.

'So, what made all of you decide to come here again?! We could have landed in the Med hours ago and be soaking up the sun by now!' David looked up from his newspaper and glanced at all his friends with an accusatory look.

'You didn't have to tag along!' Adam retorted. Gavin prayed they would land quickly so that he could get away from these people.

'…In the meantime, visitors are asked to stay indoors from midnight tonight and to comply with requests from the local police and fire services. We hope the storm will pass quickly and that you will enjoy your stay on Sainte-Marie despite this'

'Oh yeah?, show me how!' screamed the man behind Tiffany.

'Quiet please!' shouted the steward. 'Everyone fasten your seatbelts please'.

Tiffany waited for Gavin at the entrance to the terminal building and was relieved to get a hug from him.

'Are you OK, darling?' he enquired.

'I hope so. Glad to have landed but I'm not liking the idea of being in the middle of a storm. I thought they came later in the autumn'.

'They usually do but it can happen in the summer too. Don't worry, we have each other and we just need to follow the guidelines we are given'

'I'm sure you're right. Gosh, see that man over there?'

'The old, grumpy one who just swore when he saw the length of the queue for passport control?'

'The very one. He was sitting behind me. Complained about everything and was even telling the steward he demanded a refund for his holiday since the weather is bad!'

'Honestly, some people. As if the airline or the travel company were responsible for the weather!'

'I know. At least there was a nice lady sitting next to me. What was her name again? Vicky? Very calm, said she'd been through worse things'

'Worse than Caribbean storms? She must be very resilient!'

'Indeed. She said was in a hurry to get through customs as she had to make an urgent phone call but I wouldn't mind bumping into her if we are going to end up in a storm evacuation shelter!'

'Well, you never know. Goodness, it sounds like you were luckier than me then. I was sitting next to that group from Manchester that were in front of us at the check-in desk this morning. There was a lot of tension between them. I don't understand why they all went on holiday together. The couple sitting beside me seemed unpopular with the others and would have been better having a holiday on their own!'

'I guess we'll never know. Oh, here we go!' the couple were called forward to show their passports.

'Welcome to Sainte-Marie!' Butterfly, the larger than life bus driver who was now working the airport, greeted Adam and Karen as they boarded her coach to go into Honore, having somehow managed to avoid being blown away in the strengthening winds.

'Thank you' answered Karen. 'Have you heard how the storm is progressing? We were told about it on the plane'

'No more news, I'm afraid. But don't worry, we're prepared!'

'Thanks for the assurance' said Adam, half sarcastically as he was not confident the people of such a remote island would know how to prepare. The couple took a seat together and had a quick kiss before Pete and Jenny sat down behind them. David then took a double seat to himself opposite them.

They still could not believe what had happened barely a month after they had 'come out' to their friends about their relationship, at a time when they were all still coming to terms with it. They had decided to get away from it all and book their first holiday as a couple. Karen had found a holiday brochure among the magazines on her coffee table and found a page about Sainte-Marie folded down. Having decided it was some kind of sign, she and Adam had booked a romantic fortnight on this beautiful island on the dates where there was a special offer on, and were counting down the weeks and days. Then two weeks later, Karen's friend Jenny had just finished a round of chemotherapy for breast cancer and had received the good news that she was in remission. She appeared at Karen's door unexpectedly one afternoon, and hoping they could make progress towards restoring their long lasting friendship following Jenny's initial disapproval of her relationship with Adam, and betrayal at not having been told of their unexpected first kiss when it had happened at a music festival they were at together, Karen had invited Jenny in for a cup of tea. The conversation was still a bit stilted but they had both been making some effort at least. Then Jenny revealed the real reason for her visit – to ask if, by any chance, she had left a holiday brochure at Karen's house as she and Pete could not find it anywhere in their house. Jenny was delighted to get her brochure back with the marked page still intact. She and Pete had decided to take their minds off the last frightening few months by having a holiday of a lifetime in a part of the world they had not thought about visiting before – the island of Sainte-Marie in the Caribbean. There was a special offer on for the last fortnight in August, just before the schools went back, and they were ready to make the booking now that Jenny did not have to have any more treatment. Having not had the heart to tell her that she and Adam were going to the same place on the same dates when she was sounding so excited about her holiday with Pete, and had been through so much, the other couple did not find out until one evening when they were all at a housewarming party for David, who had just settled into the flat above the café he was now working in. Jenny and Pete were talking excitedly about their holiday, when David said 'Wait, is that not where you're going?' turning to Karen, and looking coldly at Adam, who Karen had insisted should come to the party even though he and David were not even on speaking terms at that point in time. The revelation had not gone down well and had brought back the bigger rift in the group that had initially begun when the others found out about Adam and Karen getting together. Then finally, when things had begun to settle again and he was able to tolerate Adam's company again to a greater extent, David had decided that now he was working again he could scrape the money together for a ticket for himself rather than being left out. He had also made up his mind that he was going to have a holiday romance while he was there, although he had not told any of his friends this. And so, for better or worse, it had become a rather tense group holiday.

'Excuse me, is this seat free?' Nikki, who had sat next to Tiffany on the plane, addressed David.

'Em…sure!' he moved his rucksack and Nikki sat down.

The bus was now full and Butterfly started up the engine and took off. David noticed that the woman sitting beside him was very attractive and decided to strike up a conversation with her.

'Scary business this approaching storm?' he began.

'Yes indeed, but at least they seem to know what to do'

'Really?'

'Yes. I was just speaking to the airport staff and they are constantly monitoring the situation and making wise decisions about when to stop planes approaching'

'That's good to know'.

'Yes indeed. They also have facilities set up at secure locations around the island in case they have to move people from riskier areas'

'That's reassuring, although I don't fancy having to spend my holiday in a refugee centre'.

'No, not what you expect when you book a getaway, is it?'

'Travelling alone, are we?'

'For now, yes. My boyfriend was supposed to be joining me later tonight on a flight from Washington but his flight has been cancelled as they are closing the airport at ten'

'Oh' David was disappointed that this woman was taken. 'That's a shame. Do they know when it will open again?'

'Not at the moment. It depends on the progress of the storm. My boyfriend is on standby for now so I just hope it passes quickly and he can get on another flight before I have to leave'

'I guess we just made it on time then?'

'Looks like it, whether that's a good thing or not!'

'I know - hopefully we haven't drawn the short straw being in the middle of all this'

'Yes, I hope we get to stay at our hotels. Are you staying in the centre of Honore?'

'Yes, at the Honore Palace'

'Oh yes, we looked at that one. Looked like a nice restaurant. We decided on the White Sands in the end though'

'Yes, my friends chose the Palace. The two couples over there'

'Oh well, this is my hotel. I hope you and your friends have a lovely holiday and the storm is not as bad as they think'

'Same to you – I hope your boyfriend gets here soon'

'Thank you, bye'

Nikki smiled at David in a purely platonic way as she got off the bus. He sighed as she would have been a lovely candidate for his holiday romance, but it was clear she was not interested.

Two hours later the Manchester group had all settled into their rooms and changed and were enjoying their first meal at the Honore Palace, albeit indoors rather than on the terrace overlooking the sea that they had seen in the brochure. David scoped the room for single women but didn't see any except for an octogenarian in comfortable clothes who was sitting with what could be her son and daughter-in-law.

'You trying to be me, David?' Adam teased him.

'Never!' David retorted, a little annoyed.

'Oh, come on, admit it. You're looking to pull!' Pete backed Adam up. 'You were chatting up that blonde babe on the bus and now you're looking for talent in here since she wasn't interested!'

'OK, maybe I fancy a little romance, OK?' David blurted out. 'Why should a man like me not have that?'

'No reason' said Adam.

'Listen, I'm sorry if I've still been a bit funny about you two' he looked at Adam and Karen 'But I am trying, and I think it might help if I had someone too!'

'Well, I'm glad to hear that as we don't want fallouts on this holiday' said Jenny. 'But would you not be better to start dating at home, find someone you can have a lasting relationship with?'

'Yes, when we get back, I might think about that' he agreed. 'But for the next two weeks, would it be wrong for me to have a short romance?'

'Not at all' said Karen, 'It's just that this doesn't seem like you. But if that's what's going to make you happy and help you come to terms with us, then go for it!'

'Thank you' David calmed down. Adam turned to kiss Karen but looked over at David again, daring him to say something. 'Go on, don't mind me' he said, and Adam went ahead and kissed Karen, for the first time not getting grief from David. The whole group relaxed and tucked into their meal. The Maitre D' came over towards their corner and seated a young couple at a table for two next to them. Adam and Karen wondered why the young man looked familiar and suddenly realised it was the man who had been sitting next to them on the plane. Adam could have sworn the young man's face dropped when he saw them but he had quickly made the effort to smile and say hello to them. A young waitress, a local girl in her late teens, then came over to take the couple's order and to ask the bigger group if they would like any more drinks. Just as she was leaving, the waitress was approached by the man who had been complaining during the flight.

'Excuse me' he yelled, grabbing the girl's arm. 'I've been waitin' ten minutes for me beer!. That's simply not good enough! Where is it?!'

Stunned, the girl pulled her arm free before addressing him;

'I'm sorry Sir but as you can see we are very busy at the moment and I'm looking after a lot of guests, but I'll get your beer as soon as I've given this couple's order to the kitchen…'

'Not good enough, I want it now!' the man screamed in the girl's face.

'Oi, get a grip, why don't ye!' Gavin stood up and tried to get the man to stand back before he ended up hitting the waitress. Adam, David and Pete were all ready to intervene as well if the man didn't back down. The man scowled at the whole group and went back to his own table.

'My God, what a prick!' Adam commented and the group began a conversation with Gavin and Tiffany. The fact they had other people in their company encouraged them to avoid bringing up their grievances with one another, and it was not long before Gavin had decided that this group were not so bad after all and were in fact a good laugh. He discovered that Karen worked as a publishing editor, which was interesting since he was a journalist, and they shared stories about coming up with the correct wording when composing articles. And he could have sworn his newpaper had also used the taxi company Pete once worked for. The waitress, who was called Polly, was very attentive to all seven of them, apparently grateful for their help in dealing with the dissatisfied customer. She enjoyed gossiping about the guests and staff and seemed to know everything about everyone.

'How about we all head through to the lounge?' Pete suggested and as they were heading off Polly informed them 'Oh, just to let you know, the bar will be closing at ten tonight. The managers have decided to allow the staff time to get home before the storm makes it dangerous for them'

'Great, well I guess it's going to be an early night for everyone then' acknowledged David.

'I hope we're going to be safe?' Jenny enquired. Tiffany looked nervous.

'Oh don't worry, the police and army are keeping a constant eye on the weather!' Polly assured them all and they headed through for the short time they had.

An hour later everyone except Karen was becoming relaxed with a small amount of alcohol. Gavin had gone to the bar to get another round of drinks and Tiffany was using the restroom. The Manchester group began to speak in hushed tones to each other.

'I wonder which newspaper Gavin works for?' wondered Karen.

'Why? Worried he saw your book review and that Nina B St James is really Jenny?' Adam nudged her.

'Do you think he really could have recognised me?' wondered Jenny.

'I don't think so. He would surely have looked at ye more carefully and I didn't notice that' Pete assured her. 'I'm more worried he remembers the time we taxi drivers used to charge them journalists more than we should have, and that I was one of them!'

'Serve you right!' said David self-righteously.

'Says the only one of us who's been in prison!' Pete fired back. 'Conspiracy to fraud, wasn't it?'

David hated being reminded of this and was relieved to see Gavin walking back towards them.

'Shh, he's back!' whispered Karen who had also noticed, and they all sat back.

'Oh, thank you Gavin, the beer here tastes much better than it does at home' said Adam, taking a tall glass. Pete and David took their beers as well, Jenny her wine and Karen her water.

'Do you not drink at all Karen?' Gavin asked.

'Um…no' she said without expanding. Tiffany rejoined them and they continued to get acquainted until the bar closed at ten.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Reflections

Jack stood on the porch of the shack looking out at the sea, the dark grey clouds he was not used to seeing here dampening his mood and causing him to reflect on the events of his time in the Caribbean as well as the constant aches in his heart. For as long as he had been resident on Sainte-Marie he had not experienced a particularly bad storm but he had heard stories from some of the locals he had befriended of times they had come out of nowhere and left the island in near devastation. Thankfully such damage was largely unheard of in recent years due to advances in technology, but at the last emergency services briefing he had attended just that afternoon it had been confirmed that storm Theodore was expected to be the worst the island had encountered in the last twenty years and there was no guarantee that this shack, which had been his home for the last two and a half years, would remain standing, and having packed a small overnight bag, he was just waiting for the call to vacate and join thousands of other islanders and tourists in the safe haven of Honore High School, after helping with the evacuation itself.

He had first come to Sainte-Marie a mere two months after his wife Kathleen had passed away after a long battle with cancer and so his initial enjoyment of the beautiful view of the beach and sea and the experiences of his new life had a bittersweet backdrop. He knew that particular ache would always be there regardless of what he did with the rest of his life.

The following year, his daughter Siobhan had left the island and returned to London to attend university leaving another hole in his heart and a very empty shack. She had returned for the summer holidays this year and last, as well as an unexpected month earlier this year following her split with the boyfriend who had cheated on her, and she had once again brought bright young life to his home. Part of him was sad she had decided to leave a few weeks earlier this year in order to settle into her new flat and spend some time with her friends before the new term began, but at the same time he was relieved she was safe and would not be in the middle of the coming storm.

Life had gone on for Jack on Sainte-Marie and he had gotten to know his colleagues well and gotten into a good working routine with them. But the dynamic had drastically changed when Dwayne had decided to leave the police force in order to go travelling with his father, after finally making his peace with him last year. Ruby had come along and taken his place, and although she had been a bit of a challenge to begin with, particularly in light of the fact she was the Commissioner's niece, she was now settling down and turning into a promising, if unconventional, young police officer. Then earlier this year there had been the horrific incident following the resolution of the murder case at Belle-Mere where Florence had been shot and almost died, and her fiancée Patrice had been murdered. This had resulted in Florence leaving the island due to the memories being too painful to live with, leaving yet another enormous hole in the team and in his life. And on top of that there had been the ordeal of the Internal Affairs enquiry which had almost cost him his job. He was glad he still had J P on the team, a loyal and hard-working young officer who had stepped up on more than one occasion to assist him in interviewing murder suspects. He hoped J P would get the opportunity to take his exams and become a sergeant and eventually a detective, and possibly work alongside him on a permanent basis in the future, but that would take some time, and so for the time being he had had to rely on a series of temporary Detective Sergeants that had been sent over from other islands as well as from Paris, the latest of which had only yesterday flown home to Antigua to attend a family wedding. Then there was Madeleine, the Internal Affairs officer who had reported on him and who had stayed on to assist with the murder of the horse rider following a milder storm a few months back. The Commissioner had informally offered her the vacant position before she returned to Paris and she had said she would think about it, but her decision had so far been delayed by her involvement with a high profile investigation back in France that had gone on for several months. He would not be sorry if Madeleine did decide to come back as they had started to get along well during her last few days on Sainte-Marie and the awkwardness of the circumstances of her coming in the first place had gradually begun to be forgotten. She was also very intelligent and he could think of several cases where her input would have been invaluable, especially murder enquiries where the guilty party had turned out not to have been one of the suspects identified at the beginning of the investigation.

Jack heard a small thud to his left and looked down to see that Harry the lizard had appeared on the railing as he often did. 'I hope you'll be okay old fellow' he said, not knowing whether his reptile friend was likely to survive the storm. As he stood watching the waves, Jack noticed it getting even darker, possibly due to the coming sunset or the worsening of the weather or more than likely both, and his heart had felt the same way recently. Missing Kathleen and Siobhan was nothing new, but he now had to acknowledge there was another ache there too, almost as strong. Over the past six months there had been many an evening where he had nobody to discuss things that were on his mind with, and he had even gone to bed on more than one occasion without having eaten a proper meal. J P had his wife to go home to every night and Ruby had her young life. Catherine often came round with food for him when she knew he was working late, but between being Mayor and running her bar she did not always have a lot of time to spend with him. And so he had to acknowledge that he really missed his best friend Florence.

Back at the airport, the last flight to be allowed to land before the early closure was now disembarking. It was a domestic flight from Martinique carrying only forty passengers. Florence hurried through the terminal, overtaking as many fellow passengers as she could, anxious to get out to her brother Gerard who was waiting for her and who would update her on the situation with her father. She had received a hysterical telephone call from her mother that morning just as she was finishing breakfast with her aunt and uncle before setting off for work. Her dad had had what appeared to be a major heart attack and been rushed to hospital, and at that point it was not known whether he would survive. Without giving it any further thought, she had gone online and booked herself on the next flight home to Sainte-Marie. Even when she began to think of the memories her visit would bring back, and even when her uncle had warned her about the coming storm, she did not change her mind about travelling. She could not let another man she loved dearly die without her being there with him.

As she had sat on the plane, not noticing or engaging with the people around her as she normally did, a film roll of images and memories went through her head. Playing with her dad as a child, his pride when she passed her school exams, her graduation, when she was accepted into the police force, and more recently when she had got engaged. Then she saw the sorrowful look on his face when she had lost her fiancée and then said goodbye to him before leaving for Martinique. Would she see that face again? Then she saw Patrice waiting for her at his bar in Belle-Mere, holding a bunch of roses, their weekend away when he had proposed to her, the chapel on the hill where they were going to get married. She wondered what her wedding day would have been like, imagined their honeymoon, wondered how their life together would have turned out, if they would have had a family and what their children would have been like. Then the nightmare returned and she recalled following Patrice to the abandoned building, wondering what he knew about Tiana's murder, then being shot and thinking she was going to die. Waking up in hospital trying to remember what had happened, Jack breaking the dreadful news…at this point she started to dread landing in Sainte-Marie and seeing places that were part of this memory. If it wasn't for her father she would have gone straight to the booking desk and bought a ticket on the next flight back to Martinique without even leaving the terminal, even if it meant staying there for several days while the storm passed. Then as the plane had descended and the turbulence had eased, she began to reflect on her time with the Sainte-Marie police team, the murders she had helped to solve, all her different colleagues that had come and gone over the years and the fun they had had off duty, Humphrey, Camille, Dwayne, JP , Ruby, and finally Jack. She smiled as she thought of the drinks and laughs at Catherine's and at the shack and wondered if she would see any of them while she was back. It would all depend on her dad.

In the first two months after arriving at her aunt and uncles' house in Martinique, she was still weak after her ordeal and hurting for the man she loved, so had spent most of her time in the house and had not done anything except helping with household chores. Then, encouraged by her aunt and uncle she began to go out with her cousins and meet new people and she also started helping her uncle run his grocery store. But after a while she realised that this was not what she had spent years studying to end up doing, and so she had gotten a job with the Martinique police, assisting with investigations into burglaries and fraud allegations, but having no exposure to murders as yet. She had started to make some new friends and feel more settled, but she couldn't help missing her Sainte-Marie colleagues, in particular the friendship she had with Jack. Since his arrival on Sainte-Marie, he had been the one she had gone to with any worries and she had enjoyed cooking for him and looking after him in his early days on the island. And he was the one who had been there for her when she and Patrice had their first major tiff during the murder investigation after which_ the nightmare _had occurred. There had been several occasions over the past few months when she had wished he had been there to talk to.

Finally she was through to the front of the terminal building and Gerard opened his arms to give her a well-needed hug.

'Oh Florence, what a scare we had! But it's so good to see you!'

'It's good to see you too, Gerard. How is he?'

'Stable now, thank God. He was sitting up when I left him a couple of hours ago!'

'Oh that's such great news!' Florence let out tears of relief and got another hug from her brother before they headed out to his car. Twenty minutes later they arrived at the hospital. Their mother and another of their brothers were sitting at either side of the bed, and their father, who was obviously weak but awake and alive, attempted to sit up and smiled when he saw his daughter.

'Florence!'

'Papa!' she gave him a very big hug and a big part of the cloud above her head lifted.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – The Evacuation

It was already dark when Jack's reflections were interrupted by the approach of a vehicle and he knew then that it was time. He took one last look around the shack and stroked Harry's spine. As he thought, the vehicle he had heard was the estate car driven by Commissioner Selwyn Patterson.

'Good evening Inspector' the Commissioner greeted him formally as he got out of the car.

'Good evening Commissioner. What's the situation?' Jack knew it would be straight to the point with this man.

'The eye of the storm is now only fifteen kilometres off the north-west coast of the island and reaching eighty-five kilometres per hour.'

'Gosh, that's serious!' Jack feared for the safety of the local people.

'Yes. The houses and hotels on the coast are no longer safe and we need to begin evacuating everyone to the school immediately. Officers Hooper and Patterson are already helping the staff at the hotels in Honore to evacuate their guests. The army and fire brigade have been helping as well. We are even having to evacuate parts of the hospital that are not storm-proof and we need to get people off the streets and make sure all restaurants and bars are closing. I would like you to join me in going round the private residences before checking up on this'

'Yes, of course, right away' Jack collected the bag he had packed and set off with the Commissioner.

Later that evening, Adam and Karen were finally alone in their room and getting intimate when there was a knock on their door.

'Damn, don't tell me David's forgotten his reading glasses again!' Karen despaired as she straightened up her nightdress and Adam opened the door. They were surprised to find a police officer standing outside.

'I'm so sorry, Sir, Madam, but we are going to have to ask you to leave your hotel' The young officer was very polite and full of regret for the message he was bearing. 'We believe the coming storm is going to be worse than expected with winds of up to eighty-five kilometres per hour, and we cannot guarantee your safety here. We have set up a living area in the Honore High School which is further inland and safer, and there is a coach waiting outside to take you there. Please pack only essentials as space will be limited'

'Jeesis, do you know how long we'll have to stay there!' Adam was not amused at the idea of sleeping in a school hall with hundreds of other refugees. Not exactly the holiday they had planned.

'I'm afraid I don't know, Sir, but the met office will let us know when it's safe to leave'

'So we could be in there for days? Weeks?' Karen was becoming anxious as she was also uncomfortable with communal accommodation as well as being worried for the safety of herself, Adam and their friends.

'I hope not, Ma'am. Anyway, I have a lot of rooms to get around so please pack an overnight bag as quickly as you can'

The police officer left and the couple packed essentials into their hand luggage.

'I must try to phone home before we leave' Karen decided. 'The kids will be thinking the worst if they hear about the storm and the evacuation and can't get a hold of us!'

'I've got no signal!' Adam informed her. 'I think the phone lines might be down already!'

'Great, I've got nothing either' she tried lifting the phone that came with the room. 'No landline either so I guess that's it'

'Yeah, we'd better go'.

Jenny had been feeling tired as she often still did following her treatment, and had gone to sleep as soon as she had gotten up to the room she was sharing with Pete. She woke up when the room shook for a few seconds.

'Are you really sure we're safe?' she voiced her anxiety to Pete, who had just come out of the shower and was standing cleaning his teeth. 'The cancer was scary but I survived…and now…'

'Hey, don't worry Jen…there, it's stopped!' Tiredness took over once again and Jenny dosed off. A few minutes later, however, a female police officer knocked at the door. When this officer gave the same message that her colleague had given to Adam and Karen, Pete took one look at her big hair and trainers and the smile on her face and started to laugh.

'Ha ha, very funny. Did whatsername… _Polly? Pauline?..._ send ye to wind us up? Good night dear!' he was about to close the door when the officer jammed it with her foot.

'I'm sorry, but this is for real. The winds could be strong enough to cause damage to this building!. You must leave now!'

'What's goin' on?' Jenny stirred from her slumber once again.

'Nothin' to worry about, love, just one of Polly's friends foolin' around'

'Sir, look, I'm a bona fide police officer!' the young woman put her police badge in Pete's face.

'Well, well, officer…' Pete squinted to read the ID card 'Ruby Patterson. Thank you for your bit of fun but my wife is tired and we've had a long day travelling so we'll get off to bed now. Goodnight'

At that point another strong gust of wind shook the hotel and Jenny suddenly became fully awake.

'Pete, listen, people are moving out in the landing. And did you not feel that?' Jenny got out of bed, ran to the door and looked down the corridor and saw other guests vacating their rooms with backpacks, grabbing each other as there was another gust. Then finally they saw Adam, Karen and David coming.

'Well I tried to tell you' Ruby looked pleased with herself as she set off and Pete and Jenny started getting dressed and packing in a hurry.

There was a long line of buses outside Honore High School waiting to drop off evacuated locals and tourists. There were four army soldiers at the school entrance directing evacuees to the school assembly hall where rows of mats and blankets donated by local charities had been set out for around one thousand people. Just over half of the 'beds' had already been taken, and the police, army and volunteers were waiting to see how many more people would arrive before setting out more places in some of the classrooms. Families with young children were directed to the gym which had various toys and amusements available, and disabled and elderly persons and their carers were allocated to rooms set up with proper beds and necessary aids. Soup and sandwiches for those who hadn't eaten that evening, as well as a generous supply of hot and cold drinks and light snacks, were being prepared and handed out in the school canteen by a team of volunteers lead by local Mayor and publican Catherine Bordey. As the water urn came to the boil, the electricity suddenly failed and the refugees queuing for a hot drink or something to eat despaired. However, within two minutes Catherine had turned on the private generator that had been delivered to the school ahead of the storm and shortly afterwards the supply restarted and everyone in the queue clapped and cheered. The canteen was busy but a lot of local faces fell when they noticed that Catherine was serving up her infamous chicken soup. Nobody said a word to her out of respect, however, except for the man who had caused trouble on the plane and at the Honore Palace earlier.

'Call this soup?!' he shouted in Catherine's face. 'Tastes like toilet water, it does!'

'I…well…' Catherine was shocked and speechless at this declaration.

'You should be grateful you're getting something to eat! When we got storms like this in the old days there used to be food shortages!' an elderly gentleman in the queue addressed the complainant.

'Well, since there are no shortages here I would expect better than this!'

'You can eat it or do without!' Jack, who had just entered the canteen, put an authoritative hand on the man's shoulder. 'If you give Mayor Bordey any more trouble you'll be spending the night locked in the Head Teacher's office with me! Do you understand?!'

The man walked off sulking and said nothing further.

'Are you alright, Catherine?' Jack touched his friend's hand.

'Yes, thank you Jack. I just didn't expect that but I can handle it'

'Well, send for me if you need me again. I'll be based in the assembly hall tonight, just in front of the stage'

'Thank you. Help yourself to a coffee'

Jack got his drink and went to join JP and Ruby who had been watching the incident from a nearby table.

'Poor Catherine' said JP.

'I wonder how that man knows what toilet water tastes like?' joked Ruby and they all screwed up their faces and laughed.

'OK, fifteen minutes break, then we head back to our stations to relieve the army' Jack instructed and they tucked into their drinks and snacks.

The Manchester group were directed to the assembly hall where there was a queue to get in. David's face dropped when he looked ahead and saw the sleeping arrangement.

'Is this the only room there is?' he asked nobody in particular.

'If you're looking for a yurt, I'm afraid you won't find one here!' Adam smirked on observing David's discomfort at the idea of sleeping on a mat surrounded by hundreds of other people.

'Well, I'm going for a walk around the school to see if I can find somewhere else'

'Good luck with that!' laughed Pete and Jenny and Karen shook their heads.

'Honestly, what does he expect in the middle of a natural disaster!' Jenny gasped in disbelief.

'Well, why don't Jenny and I go and get us some hot drinks while you two keep our place in the queue? I think they said they were serving them in the school canteen and there seemed to be as big a queue there as there is here' Karen suggested.

'Good idea, it's colder in here that I imagined' Jenny agreed and the two women left the queue. Adam and Pete waited almost half an hour before they finally got in the door.

'How many in your party?' the duty volunteer asked.

'Four' said Pete.

'Actually five' corrected Adam 'Just in case David gives up his search for a luxury suite and decides to join us!' he spoke quietly to his friend.

'Yes, you're right, five' Pete agreed and they were allocated five mats.

'I'm going to find the gents' said Adam. 'I'll let you look after our stuff'

'Will do!' Pete replied. As Adam left the hall Pete noticed another Manchester accent behind him, and turned to see a couple a few years younger than him with a teenage daughter.

'Where are you from?' he asked the man and they began a conversation.

'Levenshulme. What about you?'

'Didsbury. I'm Pete by the way'

'Brian. This is my wife Tania any my daughter Daisy'

'Nice to meet you all'

On his way back to the hall, Adam walked past the art department which had a display of mannequins in its corridor showcasing some clothing ideas the school children had designed. As he walked past them, he got a fright when one of the mannequins suddenly fell over and landed in his arms, almost making him fall over backwards. He was shocked at how heavy the mannequin was, and then became even more shocked when all the people who walked past him began to scream and shout 'evil murderer!' and 'shoot him!'. He saw Tiffany, the young woman who had dined and drunk with him and his friends earlier that evening, approaching, and her face suddenly changed to a look of sheer terror and pain as she looked at him, screaming at the top of her voice and shaking violently. Adam looked down at the mannequin, and recoiled in sheer horror when he discovered that he was not actually holding a mannequin, but the body of Tiffany's fiancée Gavin, which was covered in blood around the heart area. He froze, not quite believing this was really happening, and not knowing what to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Surprises and Shocks

A few minutes earlier, Jack had left the canteen and was passing the school entrance on his way back to the assembly hall when he saw patients from the local hospital being brought in on hospital beds, their families at their side. There was a secure area at the hospital but it only had room for the most seriously ill and injured patients so the remainder were being transferred to the school to be accommodated in the school's medical room and a few other rooms, where doctors and nurses would be stationed to care for them.

A bed was brought in, on which lay a middle aged man attached to a heart monitor. His wife walked at his side, keeping him talking, and her son held her hand. Two other relatives followed behind the bed, another son perhaps, and a daughter, or daughter-in-law. The daughter or whoever she was suddenly turned her head to talk to the man beside her and Jack saw her more clearly. He was sure he must be imagining things. It couldn't possibly be…

'_Florence?!_' he gasped, unable to stop himself, immediately expecting funny looks that would confirm it had just been his mind playing tricks on him. But instead, the woman in front of him turned round and her face lit up when she saw him.

'Inspector… Jack!' Florence ran over and gave him a big hug. Neither was able to let the other go for several seconds.

'It's…really good to see you!' Jack was the first to speak'

'It's good to see you too. It's been a hard day!' she indicated the bed in front of her. 'Gerard, I'll join you in the medical room in a few minutes. I remember where it is, OK?'

'Sure' her brother caught up with the rest of his family.

'Is that your dad?' Jack enquired.

'Yes, he had a heart attack. I thought we were going to lose him. Thankfully he is out of danger'

'I'm so sorry you had to go through that. After everything else…'

'It's been tough. But…oh no! Not again!' Florence suddenly began to look unwell. She pointed at the corridor ahead as Jack went to hold her again before she fainted.

'Whatever is the matter?' he began to ask, sitting her down in a corridor chair before looking round in the direction she was pointing. He got a shock himself when he saw a British tourist holding a dead man and suddenly noticed the people screaming all around him.

'Oh Lord!...excuse me?!' he called to a passing nurse. 'I need to deal with this' he indicated the scene ahead. 'Could you please look after my friend here, she's had a shock and feeling a little unwell. Her family are in the medical room with her sick father. Could you take her there once she is able to walk?'

'Yes, sure' the nurse replied.

'I'll come and see you later, OK?' Jack left Florence in capable hands as he ran over to the art corridor.

'OK, everyone away from this corridor, please. Except you!' he pointed at Adam, who was still holding the body. The crowd dispersed, leaving only Jack and Adam, and Tiffany who was still howling uncontrollably.

'He killed my fiancée!' Tiffany yelled, pointing at Adam. Jack turned to the accused.

'Let's put the body down' He helped Adam to lay Gavin's body out on the ground, then took out his handcuffs.

'I'm Detective Inspector Jack Mooney. I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder. You are not obliged to say anything…'

'But I-I didn't…!' Adam began to find his voice.

'You'll come with me and we will talk. You will get the chance to give your defence' Jack pulled Adam to his feet.

'Can we help?' two army officers approached the scene.

'Could you please arrange for this corridor to be sealed off? It is now a crime scene. And could you find the Police Commissioner and ask him to meet me in the Head Teacher's office urgently? He should be in the assembly hall. Oh, and could you also get some of your officers to relieve my two police officers who are stationed in the gym, and ask them to begin the examination of the body?'

'Yes, Sir' the soldiers got to work.

Karen and Jenny were on their way back to the assembly hall carrying two steaming hot cups each, when they saw Adam being led away from the scene in handcuffs.

'Adam!' gasped Karen. What…no!'

'Oh my God!' Jenny also saw the corpse in the distance and Tiffany being led away as the corridor was cordoned off. They both left their cups on a nearby window sill, and Jenny went over to the young woman as Karen ran after Adam.

'Here, here' Jenny took Tiffany's hand and led her to a chair. What happened?'

'Your friend, Adam, he…_he killed Gavin!_'

'_Killed Gavin?!..._that's his body?'

Tiffany nodded and sobbed.

'Oh God, are you sure?'

'He was standing in the corridor holding his body. He must have stabbed him!'

'I…I don't know what to say!' Jenny held Tiffany, not believing Adam capable of such a deed, but at the same time not wanting to upset her young friend any further by questioning her accusation.

'Jen? What's goin' on? Where is everyone?' Pete had left the hall to investigate when his wife and friends had not returned by quarter to midnight.

'Oh you won't believe this Pete! You'd better sit down' she told him the story while still holding Tiffany.

'Did I miss something?' David then appeared and Pete filled him in during a walk along the nearest corridor.

Karen caught up with Jack and Adam outside the Head Teacher's office.

'Adam! What on earth is going on?!' she looked between her boyfriend and the man leading him into the office in handcuffs.

'And you are?' Jack enquired.

'Karen Marsden. This man is my partner. Why have you arrested him? What has he done?!'

'Oh Karen, that young man from earlier, Gavin, is dead, and this man and Tiffany think I killed him!' Adam had finally taken in what was happening.

'But that's ridiculous! It can't have been him. You've got the wrong man – he's been with me all night except for the few minutes I went to get drinks with my friend!' Karen pleaded with Jack heatedly.

'That's all it takes, Miss Marsden' Jack defended himself. 'This man was seen holding the dead man and that can't be ignored. Now if you'll excuse me I have to interview your partner. If you wish to give a statement in his defence you can come forward when asked'

'I would like to stay with him during this interview. Normally he would be entitled to have a lawyer present, would he not? And we are in the middle of an exceptional situation!'

'Are you a lawyer, Miss Marsden?'

'No, but is there one we can call on in here?'

'Not that I know of, but police interviews on this island are not as formal as they are in the UK and there is rarely a lawyer present in my experience to date'

'All the same, he is surely entitled to have some counsel if he so wishes, is he not?'

'Well, Sir, would you like your partner to be present during our interview?' Jack now addressed Adam, who was still in shock.

'I…yes' he agreed.

'OK, come in then, both of you' Jack unlocked the door and led them in, and indicated two seats in front of the Head Teacher's desk. Jack took one of the two seats behind the desk to show who was boss. Two minutes later the Commissioner arrived.

'Ah, Inspector, I have just heard what happened in the art corridor. Is this the suspect?' the Commissioner glared at Adam accusingly.

'This is the man seen holding the victim in the corridor, yes. A young woman, the victim's fiancée, I think, said he killed him'

'I see. And this is?' the Commissioner regarded Karen.

'This is the accused's partner who we have agreed can be present while we interview him'

'Very well' the Commissioner took his seat beside Jack.

'This is Police Commissioner Selwyn Patterson and I am Detective Inspector Jack Mooney. Now, can you begin by telling us your name?' Jack addressed Adam.

'Adam Williams' Adam replied.

'OK and you are Miss Karen Marsden, did you say?' Jack continued.

'Actually it's Mrs Marsden. I'm divorced' Karen corrected him.

'OK, sorry' Jack continued to take notes. 'Now, Mr Williams, you were seen in the art department corridor by dozens of evacuees, including children, holding the body of a young man who appeared to have been stabbed. Yet you say you didn't kill him. Can you tell me then how you came to be holding the body in a public place?!'

'It…it just fell from the display into my arms! I thought it was a mannequin!'

'_The body just fell into your arms?!_' the Commissioner gasped in disbelief.

'I know it sounds far-fetched but that's what happened!'

'And did you know the victim?' Jack continued questioning.

'His name was Gavin. He was sitting next to us on the plane earlier today, then he and his fiancé were seated at the table next to ours at dinner at our hotel. They ended up spending the evening with us and our friends. We hadn't met him before today'

'And did you all get along?'

'Yes. I wasn't sure if Gavin liked us at first but we were getting along well by the end of the evening'

'And was there anyone the victim didn't get on with?'

'Not that I met'

'Except for that man who was making trouble for the waitress' Karen reminded him.

'Oh yes, there was a right prick of a man who was dissatisfied with the service and was behaving abusively towards the waitress. It was Gavin who stood up to him but he looked at us all and scowled. I wonder…'

'I see' the Commissioner looked at Jack.

'OK so this is what will happen' Jack went on. 'You will be held in this room tonight and in the morning we will begin the detailed investigation and interview witnesses with a view to determining your guilt or otherwise, although I don't know exactly how it will proceed. Normally the body would be flown over to Guadeloupe for a post-mortem and other lab tests, but with the airport and harbour being closed I am not sure what is going to happen as yet?' he turned to the Commissioner.

'I'm afraid we haven't had a murder in these circumstances during my time in the police either but I can't see that we can do anything until transport systems are up and running again' the Commissioner declared solemnly.

'Are you saying Adam is going to be locked up here until the storm is over and you can do the post-mortem?!' Karen protested.

'I see no other option. We can't allow him to stay in a hall full of people when he has been seen holding a murder victim'

'But you can't prove he did it and I know he could never do something like this!'

'I'm sorry, Mrs Marsden but the public would more than likely be unhappy about him being free. We will see what can be done tomorrow, but for tonight we must hold Mr Williams in custody. You can have a few minutes with him, then I must ask you to return to the assembly hall for the night'

Karen realised she could not contest this ruling so reluctantly hugged Adam and told him 'Don't worry, the storm will pass quickly and they will soon be able to prove you had nothing to do with Gavin's death. We'll call Robyn, pay for her flight over if necessary, and she will get the charges dropped, I'm sure'. She left him sitting with his head in his hands as Jack and the Commissioner also left the room and the door was locked.

Nikki had queued for forty minutes for a coffee and, finding there were no seats available in the canteen, she decided to take it back to the hall to drink. She had been allocated a mat in a cramped corner of the hall where there was next to no personal space, even to stretch out her legs. She felt very lonely and isolated here in the school since the people around her did not seem very friendly. Some did not speak English and Nikki's French was limited, but even the English-speaking people had shown little interest in conversing with her. She earnestly wished Matt had been able to get to the island before the airport had closed as having him here would have made this experience slightly more bearable. She heard the commotion coming from the art corridor and immediately went to see what was happening. She was shocked to see a crime scene containing a dead body – it was the last thing she had expected to see on holiday. However, as she was not the kind of person who would sit and do nothing when there was a situation like this unfolding, she put her coffee cup down on a windowsill and addressed the army soldier stationed at the entrance to the crime scene.

'Excuse me' she addressed him.

'Pardon?' he replied in a strong French accent.

'Um…excusez-moi'

'Oui?'

'Is there anything I can do to help? I'm a pathologist'

'Pardon?' He had clearly not understood her.

'Um…Je suis medicin. Je voudrais aider'

'Medicin? C'est trop tard, il est mort!'

'No, je suis une autre sorte de medicin, une…pathologist, je ne sais pas le mot francais'

'Je n'ai pas compris'

Nikki tried another tactic. 'Il y a une persone la qui parle anglais?' she looked over at the two police officers examining the body and looking around the corridor for clues.

'Non' the soldier was unhelpful and did not even call the officers over. Nikki had to assume none of them spoke English and admit defeat. She would speak to the Chief of Police, who might hopefully speak English, if an opportunity presented itself either later that night or tomorrow, but in the meantime, she retrieved her coffee and reluctantly returned to the hall.

As Karen returned to the hall to rejoin her shocked friends, Jack was obliged to return to the art corridor to see how J P and Ruby were getting on and to work out what on earth they were going to do with the body. The Commissioner remained with him which only made him feel extra tense.

'What have we got?' Jack got straight down to work.

'Well, Sir, it looks like this man was stabbed with some kind of small knife' J P began. The wound is small and there is no exit wound'

'OK and is there any sign of the weapon?' Jack continued.

'We've checked all the bins and in the gaps under the chair frames and around the mannequin display but haven't found anything yet, Inspector Mooney' said Ruby. 'Would you like us to have a look in the classrooms?'

'I'll order a search of the whole school in the morning' said the Commissioner. 'It is going to take a lot of people. Do you have the victim's name? Our suspect Adam Williams only seems to know his first name'

'Yes, I spoke briefly to his fiancee' J P advised. 'His name is Gavin Harper and is twenty nine years old, engaged to Tiffany Smith who he was on holiday with. He lives in York, England and is a reporter at the Northern Gazette'.

'Did you speak to any of the people who saw our suspect with the body?' Jack asked.

'Two witnesses reported seeing the body fall from the mannequin display into his arms' J P confirmed.

'OK, so that proves that part of Mr Williams story is true' Jack rationed, looking at the Commissioner who nodded in agreement. 'Have you been able to shed any light on how the body got there in the first place?'

'No, nobody we spoke to saw anything' Ruby hung her head.

'Don't worry, you have done well for tonight and it's now one o'clock in the morning. Could you maybe go and see that school janitor who holds the keys and arrange for us to get a room to lock the body in for the night? And while you're there ask him if anyone else asked him for the keys to any of the classrooms or if any keys went missing?'

'Yes Inspector Mooney' Ruby headed for the janitor's office and when she returned the four of them lifted Gavin's remains onto a stretcher that had been provided and carried him into a store cupboard at the back of the nearest art classroom.

'The janitor didn't notice any keys disappearing at any point, nor did anyone ask for them' Ruby advised.

The team thnm made sure the room was securely locked and headed back to their stations to attempt to get some sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – The Morning After

At seven o'clock in the morning, in the school assembly hall, hundreds of people were either groggily waking from broken sleeps, many stretching aching backs, necks or shoulders, or looking haggard from having had little or no sleep. Jenny and Pete were sitting on a bench at the side of the hall looking after an inconsolable Tiffany who was still sobbing in grief. There had been awkwardness in their group when Karen had returned to the hall upset about what was happening to Adam. Jenny and Pete wanted to be there for her but felt unable to leave Tiffany all alone and make her think they thought her a liar. Karen had tried to give her condolences and be understanding of her position but had had to make herself scarce when Tiffany had begun to shout 'It was your man who killed him! I saw him!' Consequently, Karen had ended up on a mat next to her ex-husband David who had very reluctantly had to accept accommodation in the hall following his fruitless search for a more private sleeping space. None of them had slept at all but they all felt more numb than tired.

'Oh David, what if they can't prove Adam is innocent and he ends up going to prison! That would be awful anywhere, but what on earth would the conditions be like here?!' Karen voiced her latest anxiety, feeling almost delirious with jetlag and sleep deprivation.

'Don't they have to prove he did it before they can charge him?' David reasoned.

'At home, yes, but is it the same here?'

'You said the Detective Inspector was Irish, didn't you? Surely he wouldn't stand for unfair convictions?'

'That's true, hopefully you're right'

'And anyway, we are acquainted with the best lawyer aren't we?

'I suppose so'

David put his arm around Karen as she buried her head in her knees yet again.

Jack had not slept much either and was on his way to the canteen to get a much-needed coffee to enable him to focus on the investigation that would begin in the next hour or so. He hoped he would have time to go over to the medical room to see how Florence was today before meeting with the Commissioner, J P and Ruby.

'Jack!' he heard a shout from behind him and was surprised to see Florence herself running to catch up with him.

'Good morning, Florence, how are you feeling today?' he gave her another hug.

'Much better, thank you' she assured him.

'That's good. And how is your dad?'

'Still recovering. At least he is in a comfortable bed and getting the rest he needs'

'Glad to hear it'

'Listen, I heard about the man who was murdered, everyone in the school is talking about it. I can't believe another poor girl has lost her fiance!'

'I know. I'm sorry you had to witness that scene last night. I can't imagine the horrific memories and feelings it must have brought back'

'Yes, it did, and I was awake most of the night thinking about it, but more about the bereaved young woman and the thing is, I know I am going to have to do whatever I can to help her'

'I agree it would be good for her to have someone to talk to who knows what she is going through. I believe she and her deceased fiance were over here by themselves and she doesn't know anyone except some people they met yesterday. The Commissioner and I will be interviewing her this morning to find out exactly what happened, and I will offer her the opportunity to talk to you'

'Sure, I will do that, but I need to do more. I have to help her get justice. I need to help you with the investigation'

Jack reached for Florence's arm. 'Are you sure that's a good idea? After all you've been through? You seemed traumatised last night!'

'It was just a shock to see that in a place I didn't expect to. But I am more together today, honestly. Please will you let me work with you one more time?' she looked at him pleadingly, and as sure of herself as she had been when she was her old self.

'OK I'll speak to the Commissioner' he yielded but decided to wait until he got the go-ahead from the top before officially letting her return to the team. 'Now, why don't you come to the canteen for coffee with me? Catherine will be serving breakfasts and I'm sure she will be delighted to see you'

'Sure, that would be good' They set off into the canteen together.

Adam opened his eyes slowly, yesterday's jetlag and shock and lack of sleep making him fuzzy-headed and at first making him hope against hope that he was just waking up from a very bad dream and that he would find himself at home in Manchester, in his hotel room with Karen, or at the very least on a mat in the school hall with all his friends. But no. He opened his eyes fully to take in the drab décor of the head teacher's office where he was being held, the large desk around which he had been interviewed the night before and the small window, out of which he could see it was still raining heavily with very powerful winds. So, he had to take in that he was really accused of murder and facing some frightening uncertainty in his life. He looked at his watch and saw that it was almost half past seven so he suspected it would not be long before the detective and Commissioner from the night before (did he remember correctly that the detective was Irish, Southern he suspected, and was that good news or bad?) or another member of the police force came to get him for further questioning. Would he get food? He began to realise he was a little hungry although he would probably be unable to eat much.

As if reading his mind, a key was inserted into the lock and turned, and Adam was surprised to see Polly from the hotel entering with a breakfast tray.

'Oh my goodness, it's you!' she exclaimed, taking in Adam's equally puzzled expression.

'Yes, it's me' he answered in embarrassment.

'Well, it so happens I'm helping out here. So, here's some tea and toast. I believe the police will be up at around nine'

'Thank you' Adam replied, not in the mood to engage in any further conversation.

'Well…see you later…maybe' Polly left and re-locked the door.

The school canteen was already busy with people indulging in coffee or rationed breakfasts, many of them bleary-eyed. Catherine had warmly embraced Florence and was now taking a well-earned break from her temporary canteen job to properly catch up with her and Jack. David had just joined the queue at the counter to get coffees for Tiffany and their group, along with Pete who had volunteered to help him.

Two minutes later J P entered and walked up to Jack, Florence and Catherines' table.

'Good morning Sir, Serge. Good morning Catherine, what's for breakfast?' he started to walk back towards the queue getting puzzled looks, but suddenly stopped and turned around as it finally clicked that Florence was not meant to be there. A combination of sleep deprivation and having worked with Florence for so long and having been so accustomed to seeing her among his colleagues had prevented him from registering the situation.

'Gosh, I'm sorry Serge. How are you? It's good to see you. How come…'

'It's a long story' Florence began as she stood up and gav hug. While they were still embracing they were suddenly bowled over from Florence's other side as Ruby jumped on her back.

'Serge, you're back! How awesome!' she screamed and it became a noisy three-way hug.

Pete and David looked on at this scene and shook their heads. 'If that's how professional the police are here it's no wonder they get the wrong people for serious crimes!' commented Pete.

'Indeed so' agreed David.

Half an hour later the police said goodbye to Catherine and set off for the staff room for a briefing with the Commissioner. Jack turned to the others as they approached the room 'Could you wait out here for a minute please?' he asked them, entering the room to speak to the Commissioner alone.

'Good morning Inspector Mooney' said the Commissioner. 'Will the others be joining us shortly?'

'Yes, in fact they are just outside, but I wanted to quickly run something by you before we begin the investigation' Jack explained about Florence turning up and wanting to help with the investigation, stating his reservations.

'I see Inspector' the Commissioner began when Jack had finished. 'Well, I do understand your feelings on the subject, however we are very short of personnel in here as it is, and our resources are going to be even more stretched now that we are having to carry out a murder investigation as well as keep order in the shelter, so we really need all the help we can get. And I know that despite everything Detective Sergeant Cassell is a very strong young woman and very professional and good at her job so I am inclined to accept her offer of help since she is here'

'OK very well Commissioner. I will ask Sergeant Cassell and our other officers to come in now' Despite his anxieties about Florence's state of mind Jack was secretly pleased that she would be working with him on the case as he had missed her insights on police investigations.

The briefing quickly got underway and decisions were made. 'I think we need to make an announcement using the school tannoy, if we can get it working, to appeal for any witnesses that we might not have got a hold of last night' the Commissioner suggested. 'I will let you organise that, Inspector' Jack nodded. 'And we also need to round up as many army and other volunteers as possible to help us search the entire school for the murder weapon'

'I assume we will interview the fiancee and ask the suspect you have in custody some more questions' said Florence, 'but what else can we do while we are unable to get the body and the murder weapon and any other exhibits to Guadeloupe?'

'That's the main question we have been contemplating all night' advised Jack. 'We have no way of knowing how long it will be until it is safe to leave the school so we can only hope and pray that it will not be so long that vital forensic information will be compromised. I don't have a good feeling about this case'

'And how long can we hold this Adam Williams in custody in the Head's office?' enquired Ruby.

'Normally, as you know, we can only hold a suspect for twenty four hours without charging them' Jack stated, 'but in these circumstances it would surely not be wise to release a suspected murderer in a building people are locked in?'

'I would agree' said the Commissioner. 'In circumstances like this I would be happy to authorise holding the suspect for longer'

'And how are we supposed to do the usual background checks on Mr Williams and any other suspects that materialise when the internet and phone lines are down and we have no way of accessing the police database? J P poined out.

'Yes, it is going to be a very difficult investigation and we are unlikely to be able to conclude it until we are able to confirm some of the details' Jack agreed. 'In the meantime, we are going to have to identify reliable witnesses to confirm things like alibis for the time of the murder' The team nodded.

'So, I will speak to the army Commander to organise the search since he is an old friend' said the Commissioner.

'Great. I will make the appeal over the tannoy – where would I access it?' asked Jack.

'In the school office' said Florence. 'I'll show you'

'Fantastic. J P, Ruby, you will make yourselves available in the foyer outside the hall for an hour or so after the announcement to take details from any witnesses that come forward' Jack continued, 'then you will join in with the search while Florence and I speak to Tiffany Smith, the victim's fiancee, and Mr Williams. We will see what other leads, if any, we have after that'

And with that the team dispersed to begin their assigned tasks.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 – The Appeal

There was a loud screech of feedback as the school tannoy came to life and several hundred people jumped. Moments later Jack's voice resounded throughout the whole building.

'Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Detective Inspector Jack Mooney speaking…'

'Bon matin messieurs et mesdames…' Florence repeated the announcement in French.

'First of all, I am sorry to have to tell you that there has been no change in the weather today so it is unlikely we will be allowed to leave the school at any point today…' The hall erupted into moans of displeasure. Again, this announcement was repeated in French.

'But most importantly, as I am sure many of you are aware by now, a murder was committed in the art corridor of the school last night. A twenty-nine year old man appears to have been stabbed and his body was seen held by a suspect at around eleven thirty pm. We would like to appeal to anyone who may have seen anything that could shed light on what might have happened. There are two police officers stationed in the school foyer, just outside the assembly hall, ready to speak to anyone who may have information. A suspect is in custody, however it is unlikely we will be able to conclude our investigation until the storm is over and we can get the body to Guadeloupe for a post mortem…' Nikki's ears pricked up at this last sentence.

'We need to speak to Miss Tiffany Smith. Could Miss Smith please come to the staff room on the first floor – again my officers will be able to show you the way…'

Tiffany had by now stopped crying and for the last hour or so had just been sitting on a bench staring ahead, still numb and not feeling like speaking to anyone.

'Will you be alright, love? Would you like me to come with ye?' Jenny put her hand on Tiffany's shoulder as she stood up'

'I-I'll be fine, thank you' she found the words and walked out to the foyer.

'Thank you for listening' Jack concluded.

'Merci de votre attention' Florence translated and there was another howl as the tannoy was switched off.

The disgruntled populous in the hall were fed up and many were unsure of how to pass the time. Frustration reigned as more and more people reluctantly had to put away their mobile phones, kindles and tablets as they ran out of charge. Those who were not so outgoing struggled to think of things to ask their neighbours to make conversation. The fresh food in the canteen was running low and it would not be long before only basic rations were served. Karen, David, Jenny and Pete were now sitting on mats together.

'I hope that appeal brings in witnesses who can testify to Adam's whereabouts at the time of the murder' Karen tried to remain hopeful.

'Adam and I were together until eleven twenty five' Pete reminded them. 'I can vouch for him up until then but I didn't see where he went after he left the hall, supposedly to go to the gents'

'You don't think he did it, do you?' Karen tensed up at the thought.

'No, of course not. My best friend wouldn't kill someone!' he raised his voice back at her.

'Sorry, I'm just a bit tense and anxious' she tried to calm down.

'It's not surprising' Jenny assured her. 'If it was Pete up in that room I'd be upset as well'

'I imagine the police will want to speak to us all since we were the only people the young couple met since arriving on the island' David announced and received looks of disbelief.

'Will they think one of us did it if not Adam?' Jenny became unusually fidgety.

'It's nothing to worry about, just procedure' David assured them. 'They can have no evidence against us since we were nowhere near the murder scene!'

'True' said Pete and they all started to relax a bit.

'Gosh, what are we going to do to pass the time until we get news?' Karen gave her friends attention again.

'Why don't we play I spy?' Pete said jokingly. David took him seriously though.

'OK. I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…W'

'Really, David?' Karen almost laughed. But Jenny played along.

'I know, water!' she guessed, pointing at a discarded water bottle beside a nearby mat.

'No' David declared seriously.

'Alright…is it walking stick?' Pete joined in, pointing to an elderly lady using one.

'No'

'Witness!' Karen looked out the door and spotted a woman speaking to one of the police officers.

'That's right!' David touched his nose and pointed at her.

'You saw her already?' Karen was surprised David used the game to tell them what could possibly be good news'

'She's been speaking to the big man in the brown suit for a couple of minutes. I can't see her properly…they're going upstairs'

'Oh well, we'll soon know if her testimony helps' Pete tried to assure Karen.

'Yes, let's keep playin' and not worry for now. You're up Karen!' Jenny insisted.

'OK. I spy with my little eye something beginning with…T'

'Trainers!' Pete pointed to his.

'No…'

'Come in and sit down, Miss Smith. May we call you Tiffany?' Jack looked at the distraught young woman with compassion as she nodded. 'Thank you Ruby' he dismissed his officer who had brought her up to the staff room. Tiffany, Florence and Jack sat down at the teachers' table. Jack continued.

'Tiffany, I'm Detective Inspector Jack Mooney as this is Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell. I am so sorry for your loss. I know this is difficult but we need to ask you a few questions in order to fully understand what happened last night. Do you understand?'

'Yes' Tiffany briefly looked up.

'Is there anyone else over here with you, or anyone you have met that you would like to come in here with you?' Florence asked her.

'No. Someone did offer…but she and her husband are close friends of the man who…did this! So it's awkward'

'OK I understand' said Jack. 'Now, Tiffany, did you actually see Mr Harper being stabbed?'

'No, but I was with him when we arrived here and I only went to the ladies for five or ten minutes, and when I came out I saw Adam holding his body!'

'I see. So what time did you and Gavin arrive at the school?'

'We arrived on the second bus from the Honore Palace and got off here at eleven fifteen'

'And you went to the bathroom as soon as you arrived?'

'Yes. Gavin was waiting outside for me. We were going to queue for a place in the hall afterwards, but when I came out…' Tiffany's eyes began welling up as she thought about it again. Florence was writing down the details.

'So that would have been about eleven twenty five?' Florence enquired. 'When you're ready' she allowed Tiffany some time to compose herself.

'Eleven thirty. It took us five minutes to find the bathrooms, then there was bit of a queue'

'And was Gavin himself when you left him outside the bathrooms? I mean, he didn't feel unwell or he wasn't behaving differently from normal?' Jack asked.

'No, he was just the same Gavin that I knew so well!'

'And did you see anyone around you at that point acting suspiciously? Or watching Gavin?'

'No, I didn't notice. We were too busy worrying about the storm and the thought of sleeping here, and finding the bathroom of course' Tiffany looked worried.

'It's alright, that's natural' Florence assured her.

'So, you said that you and Gavin came to Sainte-Marie just yourselves? There is nobody else with you?' Jack moved on.

'That's right'

'When did you arrive on the island?'

'Just yesterday at five thirty'

'And did you or Gavin know anyone on the island?' Florence asked.

'No, it was our first time in the Caribbean and we have no connections'

'And did you meet anyone when you arrived?'

'Just the group Adam Williams belongs to. He sat next to Gavin on the plane and he is here with four friends including his girlfriend'

'And how did you get on with these people?' Jack continued.

'Well, Gavin was unsure of them at first. I think they had argued before take-off or something and he felt a bit awkward having to sit in the middle of them. But we ended up spending most of the evening with them and they seemed really nice. Jenny and Pete, one of the couples, have looked after me since it happened'

'So they don't strike you as the kind of people who would commit murder'

'No, not at all'

'Can you give me their names?'

'Jenny and Pete as I said, and Karen and David. I don't know their last names'

'And did you speak to anyone else? Was anyone hostile to Gavin at all?'

'Well, there was this one man. He was on our plane and staying at our hotel and was giving the waitress grief for not getting him a drink he ordered quickly enough. Gavin stood up to him which may have made him angry. He seemed like a very unpleasant person'

'I see. Do you know his name?'

'No'

'What did he look like?'

'Thin, average height, around late fifties or early sixties, thick moustache and always frowning'

'OK. And did you or Gavin see this man again or have any further confrontation with him?'

'No'

'OK' Jack looked at Florence who was still writing notes. He paused to give her time to write everything down before moving on.

'Now Tiffany, I am really sorry to have to ask you this, but how was your relationship with Gavin recently?'

'Why?' Tiffany tensed up.

'It's standard procedure for us to look into everyone a murdered person had contact with'

'Are you suggesting I killed him?' she seemed shocked, hurt and afraid. Florence could not help but regard her with compassion and had to restrain herself from taking her hand.

'No, we are not suggesting that at all, but as Inspector Mooney said we do have to ask'

'OK. Our relationship was good. We were getting married next year!'

'So you weren't having any second thoughts?' Jack enquired.

'No! We were truly happy and looking forward to our future together'

'OK no further questions about your relationship' Florence saw herself six months ago echoed in this young woman's countenance and was confident she was telling the truth. Jack conceded.

'Alright, I think that's all our questions for now, Tiffany, but we may need to speak to you again if we get any leads. We will speak to Adam Williams and his friends and also try to identify the unpleasant man you spoke about. In the meantime thank you for your time'

Tiffany left the room. Jack turned to Florence.

'How do you feel?'

'Fine. That was unpleasant but necessary and I think I managed to be professional'

'Yes you did. I sensed your empathy towards Tiffany and don't think it is misplaced, but you know of course that we cannot rule her out as a suspect until we have solid evidence to do so or implicate someone else'

'Of course. I just feel so lucky not having been interrogated after Patrice's murder. It must make the whole thing so much more difficult for this girl'

'I imagine you are right, but I'm sure it goes without saying that now you are part of the investigation team you will have to refrain from offering your shoulder for her to cry on until we have concluded our enquiries'

'Of course. I just hope she will be alright for now'

'I do understand. This is not an easy job. I'm glad you are coping though as I have missed you'

'I've missed you too!' They looked at each other for a few seconds before tearing their eyes away and focusing on the case they were investigating.

'You know, I encountered a man last night who fitted the description of the difficult man Tiffany described. He was rude to Catherine about her soup and appeared, quite frankly, to be a narcissist. It wouldn't surprise me if it was the same man'

'Oh no, poor Catherine.'

'I know. Well, I think it's time for you to meet our prime suspect'

J P and Ruby had finished taking witness statements outside the hall and were now waiting outside the staff room for the Commissioner and his instructions for the search for the murder weapon.

'Did you learn anything helpful from anyone you spoke to?' J P asked Ruby.

'I think so' she replied. 'Three different people said they saw Adam Williams either going in or coming out of the gents so he is telling the truth about that at least'.

'Someone told me they saw Gavin Harper in the canteen corridor without Tiffany though so I don't know what to think'

'I wonder how the killer got the body into the mannequin display without anyone seeing?'

'Yes, strange isn't it?'

At that point there was a strong gust of wind and the building shook slightly. Ruby screamed and grabbed J P's arm.

'Are you alright?' he asked as her breathing returned to normal.

'Yes, I just…didn't expect that' she assured him, still clutching his arm.

'Are you afraid of storms?'

'Me? Um…no I'm not afraid of anything!'

'Really? Um…me neither!' he faked the same confidence that Ruby was putting on.

'I can't believe Uncle Selly has time for chatting up women in the middle of all this!' Ruby changed the subject by nodding towards the Commissioner who was coming up the stairs with an attractive, blonde English woman.

'Ah, Ruby, Officer Hooper' the Commissioner began. 'Is the Inspector still speaking to the victim's fiancee?'

'Um, no she left a few minutes ago. I think he is discussing her testimony with Sergeant Cassell' Ruby informed him.

'OK then I think we can go in' the Commissioner turned the door handle and almost bumped into Jack who had just reached for the handle at the other side.

'Oh, Commissioner!' Jack gasped and almost backed into Florence who had been about to exit the room behind him.

'Shall we all sit down for a few minutes?' the Commissioner suggested. 'I have some good news'

The police team all looked at each other as they gathered around the teachers' table once again and the Commissioner invited the woman he had been talking to, to join them.

'This is Dr Nikki Alexander' the Commissioner began. 'She is a Home Office pathologist from London, currently on vacation on the island. She is fully qualified to carry out a post mortem and has agreed to use whatever tools are available in the school to perform as thorough an examination of the body, and any other evidence, as is possible'

'Well…it's nice to meet you Dr Alexander' said Jack, unable to believe this turn of events. 'I'm Detective Inspector Jack Mooney. This is Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell, Officer J P Hooper and Officer Ruby Patterson'. The team shook hands with Nikki.

'It's good to meet you all too. And please, call me Nikki'

'OK. Now, I have spoken to the janitor and Dr Alexander will be given the use of the largest of the science classrooms and whatever tools she requires in order to do her job' the Commissioner continued. ' I will allow you all some time to help Dr Alexander get set up, then I would like Officers Hooper and Patterson to go down to the hall and search everybody's pockets and bags for the murder weapon while Inspector Mooney and Sergeant Cassell resume the investigation. I will leave you to do your job now, Inspector'. The Commissioner stood up and left the room and everyone else relaxed a little.

'Well Nikki, we are delighted you are here at this time…although I don't suppose you feel the same when you were expecting a relaxing holiday?!' Jack smiled.

'Of course, I was looking forward to a holiday and wasn't expecting this situation, but I am more than happy to do what I can to assist in these circumstances' Nikki replied.

'Wow you're a pathologist!' exclaimed Ruby enthusiastically. 'I have seen a lot of pretend post mortems on TV dramas, but what is it like in real life? Do you really cut open bodies and take all the organs out?' Jack and Florence looked at her as if to tell her not to ask this kind of question, and J P looked utterly aghast. Nikki just laughed.

'To be honest, yes I do, where it is necessary' she clarified. J P's horror intensified. 'Is this your first murder case?' she looked between the two uniformed officers.

'Hell, no. I've worked on about a dozen since I joined this team seven months ago' Ruby assured her. 'And you've been doing this for years, haven't you?' she turned to J P who simply nodded. Nikki looked puzzled.

'We don't have any pathologists on the island' Florence explained. 'We are too small. We normally send bodies and evidence to the labs on Guadeloupe and we just get the results emailed over to us'

'Ah' Nikki understood.

'So, what tools will you need in order to carry out the post mortem?' Jack changed the subject.

'At the very least I will need a scalpel, scissors, forceps, a bone saw and rib shears', Nikki informed them. 'I don't know about over here but at home a school science lab would have at least the first three items. It would be useful to have the use of a microscope, finger print powder and some swabs as well'

'We have finger print powder' J P tried to put his discomfort aside and help.

'Why don't we go to the classroom and see what we can find' suggested Florence and they all headed out of the staff room.

The science classroom was divided into two areas, the row of workbenches where the pupils carried out their practical experiments, and the group of desks where they did written work. Nikki and the police team spent fifteen minutes or so looking through all the drawers and cupboards to see what items were available.

'OK so scalpel, check, forceps, check, scissors, check and microscope, check' Jack took an inventory of everything they had managed to find, which was just as expected. 'I don't recall cutting bones, shearing ribs or doing finger print analysis in biology class at school, though. Did anyone do anything like that in school more recently?' he looked at his younger colleagues.

'Not in my time' said Florence.

'Or mine' J P's face was still screwed up.

'No, not five years ago when I left school' Ruby concluded.

'OK so I don't think we will find a bone cutter or rib shears' concluded Jack. 'Will that prevent you from carrying out a full post mortem, Nikki?'

'Well, I can still do an examination of what I can see, but if the victim was stabbed through the heart I will not be able to determine the depth of the wound or the extent of the organ damage or get an accurate profile of the weapon used without being able to cut through his bones'

'Do you have to have this specific tool?' asked Ruby 'or could you use, say, a knife from the canteen?' Her colleagues rolled their eyes and shook their heads at the suggestion, but Nikki was nothing but impressed.

'You know, that's good thinking. I could cut through the ribs with a clever or chef's knife. But I would really need a saw for any bigger bones, preferably one for cutting metal rather than wood'

'Um…shall I try the craft and design department?' suggested J P, keen to get out of the lab. 'They teach metal work'

'Good idea J P. Ruby, why don't you go to the kitchen and see if you can procure a chef's knife' suggested Jack and the two officers left.

'You mentioned you needed swabs – is that what you use to get a DNA sample?' asked Florence.

'Yes' said Nikki. 'Do you know where I could get some of those? It would help identify the DNA of any suspect on the body or weapon'

'Would cotton buds work? It's possible someone in the hall brought some and I am sure they wouldn't mind donating them in the name of justice for the victim'

'Yes, that's essentially what they are, although the ones we use are generally larger'

'Well, I'll ask J P and Ruby to ask around while they carry out the weapon search' decided Jack.

'And where is the body? Has it already been removed from the crime scene?'

'Yes, we had to remove it last night. We couldn't leave it in an open corridor' said Jack 'but the corridor has been sealed off and preserved otherwise. Would you like to take a look at the scene before examining the body?'

'Yes, that's where I would normally start. Oh, would there be any protective clothing available anywhere? I didn't pack scrubs!'

'Well, there are aprons in the art and home economics departments' said Florence '… or did I see a couple of lab coats in that cupboard over here?...yes!' Florence pulled out a long, white lab coat and handed it to Nikki.

'Great, this will do' said Nikki. 'Now, could you please arrange access to the crime scene for me? I offered to help last night but the army soldier guarding the corridor didn't speak English and didn't understand my rusty French'

And with that they left the lab.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – The Crime Scene Revisited

Jack, Florence and Nikki were let into the sealed-off art corridor by the army soldier who was acting as a security guard.

'Ah, vous etes medicin legiste!' the soldier looked at Nikki, finally understanding what she had tried to tell him last night.

'Oui, merci' Nikki addressed him. 'I will have to remember my job title in French in case I need it in future!' she said to the others. 'OK so you said your officers processed the scene last night just after the murder was committed' Nikki looked around at the mannequins, one more of which had fallen as the drama had unfolded, a pool of blood on the floor and the corridor chairs that had been turned over in the search for the murder weapon. Jack filled her in on the initial findings and showed her the photos that had been taken of Gavin's body before it had been removed, as well as he could straight from the camera. Nikki looked at the photo for a few seconds;

'You know, I could swear I have seen this man before' she told Jack. 'He looks familiar. It is possible he was either on my plane yesterday or staying at my hotel'

'Well that would tie in with what his fiancee told us. She said they just arrived on the island yesterday too' Florence pointed out.

'I guess that is to be expected on a small island then'

'Yes. You have to note, though, that the victim wasn't found lying in this position' Jack reminded Nikki. 'He was first seen being held by Adam Williams and I helped him to lay the body down before arresting him'

'Yes this is an unusual crime scene' Nikki agreed. She looked around before kneeling down beside the main pool of blood. 'Would it be possible to take a sample of this?'

'Sure' Jack passed her a test tube and Florence took out a cotton bud she had found. The sample was taken and the test tube sealed.

'I don't suppose it would be possible to know whether this trail of blood landed as the body supposedly fell from the mannequin display or as the body was laid on the floor after being held by Mr Williams?'

'Well, I helped Mr Williams to lay out the body' Jack informed Nikki. 'I don't recall that amount of blood discharging from the body as we did that, so I would guess it appeared during the fall, but having said that I had to concentrate on my position to make sure the suspect didn't get away before I could arrest him so it is possible I could have missed something'

'OK but that is helpful' said Nikki appreciatively. 'It tells us that the body must have fallen in this direction' she indicated the trail from the display to the pool on the floor. 'So if someone pushed the body over from the ground they must have been standing over…here' Nikki went to the other side of the display to the point suggested by the evidence. 'You would also expect some spatter over here but I can't see any, unless it was cleaned up?'

'There was no time for that to happen. I was on the scene as soon as the screams from witnesses began and the area was quickly sealed off and guarded' assured Jack.

'This is so strange' Nikki remarked.

'And surely passers-by would have seen someone pushing the body if they were really standing where you are' commented Florence.

'You're right' agreed Jack. 'Is it possible they could have been up on the display and hidden among the mannequins?'

'I'd say that was a good theory since that's also what appears to have happened with the body' Nikki agreed.

'The question is, how _on earth_ did the perpetrator get up there with the body, or lure the victim up there to murder him without being seen?' Jack wracked his brains.

'I think we must be missing something' stated Florence.

'Yes, that is more than likely' he agreed.

A few minutes later Jack, Florence and Nikki had reconvened once again, this time in the art cupboard where Gavin's body had been placed the night before. Nikki turned on a small torch that had been hanging inside the door of the cupboard and used it to light up the body as she examined it.

'Well, it is quite likely the victim had been dead less than three hours before he was laid on his back at the crime scene' she began. 'Otherwise, if he had been left in a different position he would have been frozen in it when rigor mortis set in'.

'OK' said Jack, who had a basic knowledge of forensics. Florence had also had to learn the basics on graduating police college since there were no pathologists or forensic scientists on the island to perform initial examinations of murder victims. However, there were a lot of details neither detective had the knowledge or experience to determine on their own.

'Look at this!' Nikki continued. 'There are marks on the wrists which would suggest he was held or more likely dragged by them. The knees of his trousers have scrape marks on them as well'

'I'm thinking it must have taken a strong person to drag then drop the body, however they did it' suggested Florence.

'Yes I would agree' concurred Jack.

'The post mortem will tell us more, though. Would it be OK for me to proceed with it this afternoon?' asked Nikki.

'The sooner the better' Jack gladly agreed. 'Before you start, will you come with us to interview Mr Williams and swab him?'

'Absolutely, that's what I or one of my colleagues would normally do'

'Great. Why don't we have a quick lunch break then get going with this?'

'Good afternoon Jack, Florence' smiled Catherine. 'And…'

'Ah, Catherine, this is Nikki, a pathologist from London who is helping us out with the murder investigation' said Jack. 'Nikki, this is Catherine Bordey, our local Mayor and bar owner'

'It's an honour to meet you' said Nikki, shaking Catherine's hand.

'Good to meet you too. Are you working on the island or were you hoping for a holiday?'

'It was meant to be a holiday. But I'm always happy to help with investigations'

'Well, I hope the storm passes quickly and you are able to have some time to relax and enjoy the island. It is beautiful at all other times I can promise you!'

'I hope so too'

'So what's on offer for lunch?' Florence asked.

'I'm afraid it's soup again. It is the best thing we can put together to feed everyone'

'OK I guess we'll all have some soup then' Catherine ladelled some into three polystyrene cups and the three of them took a table.

Nikki sat down and took a mouthful of her soup. She noticed Catherine still looking over at them and tried to hide the expression that threatened to appear on her face when she realised how unpleasant the taste was. She persevered since she was very hungry and swallowed another spoonful quickly before noticing the taste. Jack and Florence tried very hard to suppress their giggles but let them out when Catherine became distracted by another group of refugees at the counter.

'It's terrible, isn't it?' smiled Florence in a hushed tone.

'It certainly is' Nikki smiled 'but it's better than nothing' Her expression once again betrayed her true opinion of the spoonful she had just swallowed.

'Catherine is such a good soul nobody could bear to tell her how bad it is…except for a particularly cantankerous gentleman who was in here last night' Jack informed her.

'Is that the man Tiffany spoke about?' Florence asked him discreetly.

'Yes, so I'm afraid it may be necessary to speak to him at some point…unless the post-mortem and forensic testing proves beyond doubt that Mr Williams is the guilty one'

'Tiffany? That name sounds familiar…yes, I was sitting next to a girl called Tiffany on the plane. Oh goodness, I hope it's not her fiancee…I think it is come to think of it. I knew I had seen the victim…they got together again after we landed. Poor, poor girl!'

'Gosh, it is a small world on this island' agreed Jack. 'Did you speak to Tiffany much?'

'Just a little. She seemed like a friendly and amicable person and she was looking forward to her holiday and her wedding'

'That's the impression we got too' said Florence. 'I hate the fact we cannot rule her out as a suspect without evidence'

'It's a tough job, isn't it?' sympathised Nikki. 'Oh, and another thing. You mentioned a _cantankerous gentleman_. There was a man like that on our plane as well. Extremely rude to the cabin staff. I wouldn't be surprised if he is the one you were referring to'

'Again, Tiffany also said he was on your plane' confirmed Jack.

'Well that will have been the one then. I will look out for him and let you know if I see him'

'Excellent, thank you. I'm just glad you are here, Nikki, and I am hoping the post-mortem will shed some light on things' said Jack.

'Yes, about that' Nikki got back to the subject she wished to consult the detectives about. 'Would you like to be present during the post-mortem?' Florence looked utterly taken aback. 'Did I say something wrong?' Nikki looked puzzled.

'The thing is, Nikki' Jack explained 'As you know there are no pathologists on the island so none of the officers who have worked here for their entire career have ever attended a post mortem'

'Oh I see' The reaction then made sense to Nikki.

'So, in England do the police always attend post-mortems?' Florence was intrigued.

'Usually just the Senior Investigative Officer and not every time but they do attend often' advised Nikki.

'I've attended a dozen or so in my time at the Met in cases where there was no DCI involvement' Jack informed them. 'I remember the first one I attended, I was sure I was going to faint!'

'I think I would be the same!' said Florence.

'You do get used to it!' Jack assured her.

'So, will you attend this one?'

'If the Commissioner is agreeable I am happy to do so. Let's see what our prime suspect has to say first'

'Sure. I'll get my lunch finished' They all made a concerted effort with their soup since they did not know when they would next have the chance to eat or indeed how severely rationed the food supplies would become.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – The Search

Back in the school hall the Manchester group were still playing I spy. By this time they had been joined by the couple Pete had got talking to the evening before plus a few other people who were glad to have found a way to remain occupied.

'I spy with my little eye, something beginning with…N' Jenny took her turn.

'Notebook' David guessed, indicating a woman who was writing in one.

'No' said Jenny.

'Nail clippers!' Tania Ormsby from Levenshulme guessed, watching a young girl trimming a damaged nail.

'No' Jenny said once again.

'Um…Nectarine' a local man sitting near the group had a go at guessing, remembering seeing a bowl of fruit in the canteen earlier.

'No, not nectarine either!' Jenny smiled at him.

'Narcissist!' Pete spotted the man who had been causing trouble they day before grumbling by himself in a corner.

'Good guess but no!' laughed Jenny, and the others who had encountered this man smirked.

'Numbers!' Karen guessed, looking at a numbered list of school rules on the wall'

'No' said Jenny.

'Nothing!' Tania's daughter Daisy guessed looking around her and seeing a lot of people looking bored with nothing to do'

'No…it is something!' laughed Jenny.

'Netball hoop!' Brian Ormsby pointed to the hoop attached to the wall with no basket hanging from it.

'Yes…finally!' Jenny patted Brian on the back.

'But that's N H!' complained David.

'Bad loser?' Brian teased him.

'Not at all, just a bit unfair!'

'Well I did get it!'

'OK gentlemen please!' Karen jokingly intervened. 'Is anyone else getting fed up of this game?'

'I am a bit' answered Daisy.

'Me too if I'm being honest' said Pete. The others nodded in agreement.

'Why don't we play charades!' suggested Brian.

'OK you go first since it would have been your turn at I spy' Jenny urged him.

'Fine…but it looks like the police are coming over and we will have to wait a while!' Brian indicated two officers searching the pockets and bags of a couple sitting a few yards away. Sure enough, the officers made their way over to their group next.

'Ladies and gentlemen, please may we have a look in all your bags and rucksacks and also any large pockets?' the young male officer requested.

'Sure' Karen complied and the officer checked her overnight bag.

'Is this something to do with the murder?' David asked as his bag was searched.

'We are looking for any item that may be related to last night's incident, yes' J P confirmed.

'My partner Adam Williams is being held in custody over this incident' Karen took up with J P. 'Do you know if any witnesses have come forward to confirm he was not responsible?'

'We have not found any evidence to either convict or acquit so far, I'm sorry Madam'

'Oh' Karen's disappointment was apparent. 'Would it be possible for me to see him?'

'I believe he is being questioned at present but I will speak to the Detective Inspector'

'OK, thank you' Karen conceded.

'You again!' Pete said as Ruby took his bag from him.

'Nice to see you too Sir' Ruby replied sarcastically and got on with the job.

'Nothing in here then?' Pete commented as Ruby handed him back his bag.

'Pete!' Jenny rebuked him.

'No you don't appear to have any weapons… or cotton buds!' Ruby smiled.

'_Cotton buds?_ How could I kill someone with those?'

'Use your imagination!' Ruby continued the joke. 'No, seriously, we are looking for some cotton buds to use as DNA swabs'

'Like they use to tell where people's ancestors came from?' asked Jenny.

'Yes, or to place someone at a crime scene'

'Oh Ok, I see' Pete shook his head as the officers moved on to the next group of people. 'Honestly, the police here don't seem to take their job very seriously!' he commented to his friends once the officers were out of earshot.

'I don't know about that' said Karen. 'The male officer there seemed genuine and helpful when I asked about Adam, and he was also very professional when he came to evacuate us from the hotel last night. The Irish detective also seemed assertive enough'

'The young female does seem a bit wild, it has to be said' David sided with Pete.

'Well, let's just hope she doesn't miss the murder weapon or whatever they are looking for' concluded Jenny. 'So, shall we have that game or charades?' she called out to the Ormsbys and the others who were going to play.

'OK, well at least I have had a few minutes to decide what I am going to start with' laughed Brian, standing up in front of everyone. He made a square with his fingers.

'TV programme' said the others.

Brian held up three fingers.

'Three words'

He then held up two fingers.

'Second word'

Brian held his thumb and index finger close together.

'small word'

'a?' said Pete. Brian shook his head.

'is?' said Jenny. Still wrong. 'it? if?'

'or? of?' guessed Tania and on the last word Brian touched his nose and pointed at her. He then held up one finger.

'First word'

Brian held out his hands indicating the gathered group.

'People?' said Daisy. Brian continued what he was doing.

'Group?' said Karen. No result.

'Circle?' ventured the local man. Wrong again.

Brian tried another tactic and pretended to hit a golf ball with a club, then kick a ball.

'Balls?' said David. The whole group erupted into laughter and Tania covered Daisy's ears. David looked embarrassed. Brian did the action again.

'Sports?' said Tania. Brian continued what he was doing.

'Strike?' suggested Pete. Brian tugged on his ear lobe.

'Sounds like'

He pretended to walk with a stick.

'Injured?' said Jenny. Brian continued what he was doing.

'Lame' said Daisy and her father touched his nose and pointed at her.

'Sounds like lame' recapped David. 'Same? Fame?'

'Game!' Pete hit his head recalling the games Brian had been trying to get across. Brian touched his nose and pointed at him.

'Game of…?' said Daisy, thinking'

'Game of thrones!' Karen got it and Brian sat down.

'Gosh why did it take us so long to get that one?!' said David. 'Anyway, Karen's turn'.

Karen stood up and mimed holding a camera while turning a handle at the side of her head.

'Film' said the others in chorus.

Karen held up four fingers.

'Four words…'

The morning had passed endlessly for Adam who had not yet had any further visits from the police or food deliveries. He felt as though it must be well into the afternoon by now but in reality it was only quarter to one. Finally the door was unlocked and the Irish Detective Inspector from the night before entered, followed by two women, both attractive he thought, and a few months ago and in different circumstances he would have been thinking it was his lucky day. One was young and dark haired and more than likely local, the other blonde and probably British. In fact, he was sure he had seen the blonde woman before somewhere.

'Good morning Mr Williams' the Inspector began. 'This is Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell who will be interviewing you along with me today' he indicated the dark haired woman, 'and this is Dr Nikki Alexander, a pathologist who is going to take fingerprints and a DNA sample from you'

'DNA sample? How is that done?' Adam was nervous.

'It's very simple' Nikki assured him, sure enough in a refined southern English accent. 'I will just rub this swab against the inside of your cheek' she held up one of the cotton buds that had been donated.

'Sure, whatever it takes to prove my innocence' Adam complied and the sample was bottled. Adam was then asked to dip his fingers in ink and provide samples of his fingerprints. Nikki remained for the interview so that she would know what she might have to prove or disprove.

'OK Mr Williams' Jack began the interview. Could you tell me once again, in your own words, everything you did last night from when you arrived at the school until the moment you say Gavin Harper's body _landed in your arms_?' Adam took a deep breath.

'Well we arrived off the bus at around eleven'

'We?' queried Florence.

'My girlfriend Karen and our friends Pete, Jenny and David. We are all over here on holiday together'

'OK, carry on' Florence instructed, noting the information in a school jotter she had procured.

'We arrived at the school and joined the queue for spaces in the assembly hall. It was a long queue and it was going to take some time for us to get in so the girls decided to go and get us all drinks. David had wandered off so it was only Pete and me left in the queue' Adam shifted in his chair as he recalled events. 'We waited for half an hour and were allocated spaces just before eleven thirty. As soon as we got in I left Pete to keep our places while I went to find the gents room. Five minutes later I came out and got lost in the art corridor trying to find my way back to the hall. I was passing the mannequin display when suddenly I thought one of the mannequins was falling towards me and I caught it, only to discover it was Gavin's body. It…it was such a shock. Then people all around me started shouting and calling me a murderer. Then you came…' he looked up at Jack.

'So, you say you were in the queue outside the hall with your friend…' Jack looked over at Florence who showed him her notes. '…Pete up until five minutes or so before you caught Gavin's body?' Jack clarified.

'That's right'

'So Pete will be able to confirm this?'

'Absolutely'

'And do you remember seeing anything suspicious prior to catching the body?' Florence asked. 'Anyone behaving strangely for example?'

'I don't' remember seeing anyone doing anything odd. The only thing I do remember is getting confused by a sign indicating that the way to the assembly hall was along the art corridor'

'And that wasn't the way you had come?'

'No, I assumed it was a shortcut so I decided to follow the sign'

'Interesting' said Jack. 'And tell me, do you remember seeing anyone in the corridor that you knew or would recognise again? Anyone that might have seen the body falling to you?'

'No, as I said I was in shock and didn't take in any faces. Has nobody come forward?'

'No, I'm afraid not' said Jack. Adam looked down despairingly. 'I think that's all our questions for now, but we will follow up what leads we do have. Thankfully we unexpectedly have a pathologist in the house who can carry out an initial post-mortem, although further analysis may be necessary once we can get the body to the specialist labs, but we may have news sooner than we thought last night'

'One thing if I may?' asked Nikki, and Jack nodded his agreement. 'When you caught the victim's body, and noticed he had been stabbed in the chest, do you recall whether there was any blood flowing from the stab wound?'

'I don't think so, not that I remember noticing. No, I seem to remember the body being still'

'OK, that might help, thank you' Nikki sat back in her chair again.

'That will be all, but can I just take the full names of all your friends as we will have to speak to them all since they had made an acquaintance with the victim?' Florence asked and the information was provided.

'And before we go, can we just check your backpack?' Jack spotted Adam's rucksack on the floor beside the chair he had been sitting in.

'Sure' Adam continued to resign to everything asked of him. Jack put on latex gloves and looked through the items in the rucksack and after a few seconds pulled out a kitchen towel which was clearly wrapping something. Adam gasped 'What is that? It's not mine…' and despair took over as Jack unravelled the towel to reveal a carving knife smeared with blood. The Detective looked at the suspect much more sternly than he had to date.

'OK Mr Williams. If you maintain you didn't kill Gavin Harper, can you please explain why this has been found in your possession?'

'I-I don't understand!' Adam muttered incredulously.

'Oh, I think I understand' continued Jack, raising his voice. 'You stabbed Mr Harper and hid the weapon in your rucksack with the intention of disposing of it after you had gotten rid of the body, but since you were arrested before getting the chance it has remained in your bag until now!'

'No! I have never seen it before! I have no idea how it got there! I-Ive been set up!' Adam pleaded but it seemed he was not going to be believed no matter what he said.

'So, if what you say is true, can you then tell us when you last checked in your bag? How recently must this weapon have been planted in it?' Florence tried a different tactic.

'I took a handkerchief out of the front pocket this morning' he told them. 'But I have not been in the main section of the rucksack since I packed it to leave my hotel last night'

'And do you remember it appearing heavier than it should have at any point?'

'Not that I remember, no'

'Right. We will see what Dr Alexander can determine in the science lab' concluded Jack, re-wrapping the knife in the towel since he did not have an evidence bag to hand. 'I was starting to believe your story and was even considering letting you leave this room, but in light of this latest finding you will be remaining in custody here'. The two detectives and the pathologist stood up and left the room, leaving an even more stunned Adam locked inside, head in hands, still in shock and believing his life as he knew it was truely over.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - The Post Mortem

Following the interview, Florence took a break to visit her dad, and Jack accompanied Nikki back to the Biology classroom where the post-mortem was to take place. A team of army soldiers had been enlisted to carry the body there from the art classroom, making sure the relevant corridors were cleared. It took a little bit longer than expected for the body to arrive but one of the soldiers explained;

'Sorry it took us so long, but we had some difficulty getting into the classroom where the body was held. Someone had put gum in the lock, so it took us some time to clear it out in order to get the key in. Thankfully there was some lubricant in the cleaners' cupboard'. The soldiers placed the body on the largest of the desks on which a sheet had been laid, then reverently left the room.

'Gum in the lock?' exclaimed Jack. 'Who would do that?'

'Someone who doesn't want the post-mortem to take place?' suggested Nikki.

'But who? The murder? It can't have been Adam Williams since he is locked up in the Head Teacher's office!'

'Could he have an accomplice?'

'Maybe. He is here with his partner and a group of friends. It could have been one of them if they are involved'

'Well, we will see if this examination brings up any new evidence whoever it was didn't want us to find.

Nikki got out her mobile phone and opened the Voice Memos app. Thankfully she had just enough battery to get the job done. She normally used a separate recording device which gave a clearer sound, but this would have to do in the circumstances. Jack took the comfortable chair from behind the teacher's desk and stationed himself beside the door.

'I'll keep a look out for any intruders' he informed Nikki. 'We will have to step up security around the body'

'Thank you, but I think I might need you to assist me one or two more times. Normally I would have another pathologist or lab assistants present and detectives would be mere observers but unfortunately there is nobody else here'

'OK I understand. I will arrange for my officers to be fetched and they can keep watch outside the door. The search for the murder weapon has been called off since we found what we were looking for so they will be free now' Jack opened the door and called to one of the soldiers who was still nearby to have JP and Ruby fetched. He then took a quick look out into the corridor once it was clear but satisfied there was nobody around, he closed the door and focused on what Nikki was doing. She pressed record on the app to begin a memo.

'Post-mortem examination of Gavin William Harper, a twenty-nine year old Caucasian male. The victim's jacket and t'shirt are drenched in blood around the left upper torso but only a small smear appears at the bottom of the jacket and upper thigh of his jeans, and there is only a single cut in the clothing, also to the left of the victim's chest, which suggests only a single wound or small group of wounds was inflicted, concentrated in one area' Nikki looked up at Jack. 'Do you think you could help me to undress the victim?'

'S-sure'

When the body was prepared, Nikki continued 'Victim has an approximately five centimetre stab wound to the upper torso close to the heart. There are also bruises under his armpits and scratches and grazes on both of his knees, which could indicate he might have been dragged. Can you help me to turn him over for a minute?' She turned to Jack and he took another quick look through the glass in the door before walking over to her side and helping to turn Gavin onto this back.

'There is no exit wound. A kitchen knife has been found in a rucksack belonging to the chief suspect, Mr Adam Williams. Can we turn the victim back over?' Once that was done, Nikki carefully removed the carving knife from the towel it was found wrapped in. She took it and, after taking a sample of the blood that was on it with a cotton bud and inserting the bud into a test tube, she inserted the blade precisely into the hole in Gavin's chest 'Recovered knife fits into the wound and it is covered in blood up to the point at which the incision ends. I can therefore reasonably conclude that this knife found in Mr Williams' possession is in fact the murder weapon'

'Excellent!' said Jack. 'Just one moment' He went outside the door to speak to JP and Ruby who had appeared and gave them instructions to station themselves outside the room while the post-mortem continued. Finally able to fully focus, Jack re-entered the room.

'So, the knife was plunged into the victim's chest at a roughly fifty-degree angle to the right horizontally and an upward sixty-degree angle vertically. He appears to have been stabbed from the front by a person a few inches shorter than he is'

'Hmm he seems to be quite tall' sighed Jack.

'Yes, he is. Anyway, the body temperature appears to have started to fall' continued Nikki. 'Taking into consideration the temperature in the store cupboard, which is much less that in the main classroom where heat would normally get through the window, the lack of a blanket to cover the body, the windows being closed due to the storm and the age and build of the victim, as well as the progress of rigor mortis, I would estimate that he has been dead for twelve to eighteen hours, putting the time of death between eight pm last night and two am this morning. It is not possible to be more specific due to the number of factors that could affect both the speed of the cooling of the body and the onset of rigor mortis'

'Well, at least the time we believe the victim was killed, between eleven fifteen and eleven thirty last night, falls within that timescale'

'Now it is time to cut open the victim's chest' Nikki continued. 'Would you mind holding his shoulders? It will be harder to keep him still and make the right cut on this type of table' Jack obliged and Nikki picked up the scalpel to make the big cut.

Meanwhile, out in the corridor, Ruby proudly positioned herself as a sentry standing to the right of the door of the classroom. J P feebly sat down in the corridor at the other side, looking down at the ground.

'Hey, what's up?' asked Ruby. 'Are you feeling OK?'

'Yeah, I'm fine. Just very tired' JP lied.

'Oh come on, we're all tired! Not many police officers on these islands get the opportunity to keep watch over a post-mortem! Isn't it exciting?!' Ruby took a look through the glass but before she was able to see what was happening she caught Jack's eye and he indicated to her to move away from the glass and do her job. JP began to look even more uncomfortable and as his partner turned back to face him he buried his head in his hands to ward off a spell of faintness. 'You're squeamish about this, aren't you!'

'N-no, not at all!' JP forced himself to recover and tried to fake confidence as Ruby had done earlier.

'Yes you are!' Ruby teased and he felt very embarrassed.

'OK maybe a bit but please don't tell anyone!'

'It's OK, honestly, just don't think about what is going on in there!'

'I'll try, but I'll be relieved when this assignment is over' Suddenly there was a small tremor and Ruby immediately dropped to the floor beside JP.

'Don't worry, I've got you and we're safe in here!' it was suddenly JP's turn to counsel Ruby.

'I have to admit I'll be relieved when this whole storm situation is over' she admitted.

'So you really are afraid of storms then?'

'Maybe a bit, but please don't tell anyone!'

'Your secret's safe with me!'

Back in the classroom, Nikki finished sawing one of Gavin's ribs to get a better look at the severed organs underneath.

'The blade was inserted into the upper torso between the fourth and fifth ribs, severing the left ventricle. She looked up at Jack. 'The wound was made in just the right place to reach the heart. Whoever did this would appear to have some knowledge of anatomy'

'That's interesting' exclaimed Jack. 'Too bad we can't look into Adam Williams' background or those of his friends to see if any of them have a background in anything medical'

'Too bad indeed. Although the cause of death seems obvious I'll have to look at the other organs just to make sure there was no contribution by natural causes'

'Of course'

JP was still feeling a little unwell. Ruby attempted once again to look inside the classroom to see what was happening but was caught by Jack again.

'What is your fascination with the post-mortem process, Ruby? Do you think it is some kind of real-life CSI show or something?'

'Heavens no! It's nothing like that in real life!'

'How do you know? Have you ever been to one?'

'No, but I read a biography of a forensic pathologist a year or so ago. I found it _very_ exciting and I've wanted to learn more ever since'

'So why didn't you study forensics?'

'I would have done if I could afford to take another degree. At least in the police I will surely come into contact with some of it from time to time? Such as now? If only I was allowed in to watch' she sighed, frowning at the glass in the door.

'Well, I'm glad I don't have to be in there!'

'I guess not everyone can handle it!'

'Now, now! I just don't understand how you can find a body being cut up and organs taken out anything but repulsive! I don't think I would have become a police officer if we had to attend post-mortems on the island!'

'Well, as the expert whose story I read was always saying to the police officers who observed him, it is merely a way for the dead to speak to us and tell us exactly what happened to them. In a lot of cases we wouldn't be able to find the right killer and bring them to justice otherwise'

'I know, but I hate to think of that poor guy being buried with all his body parts hanging out'

'You didn't think they would leave him like that, did you? No! They stitch them back together, silly!' she putted him on the arm.

'I suppose it is not as bad as I thought'

'No, it isn't. The author I read helps officers who are uncomfortable with being present at a post-mortem by talking them through the process and helping them understand what he is doing and why. It often helps them cope'

'And that's what you've been doing for me!'

'Of course, what are partners for?' They high fived each other, JP feeling a bit better.

Having thoroughly examined Gavin's lungs, liver, stomach, pancreas and brain, Nikki placed his kidneys on the laboratory scales.

'Just the weight they should be. It looks like there were no natural causes involved' she concluded. 'Cause of death was deprivation of oxygen to the heart due to severing of the left ventricle'

'Brilliant! So what happens now?' Jack asked.

'It is time to put all the organs back where they belong and stitch this man up in case his fiancee or any family members who may decide to come over here wish to see the body'

'I see. What will you use for that?'

'Well luckily I brought a needle and thread with me as I didn't have time to fix some warped stitching in one of my sundresses before I left England'

'That was lucky indeed as I don't think the medical room here would have the amount of surgical stitching you would need'

'No indeed' she got to work.

'It's a pity there isn't a DNA analyser here to help us with the investigation' Jack sighed as she finished the job.

'It would be useful to have the use of one, yes, but I can use this to analyse the blood sample I took earlier' Nikki pointed to one of the microscopes on the workbench. 'From my knowledge I think this one has the highest resolution'

'You know better than me!' Jack cleared some space around the microscope for Nikki to bring over everything she needed. 'Shall I look for a petri dish, or something equally suitable for you?'

'You anticipate me well!' she smiled, impressed as Jack started looking in cupboards again. Five minutes later Nikki was transferring a sample of blood from the swab onto a small glass dish and turning on the microscope, which thankfully worked due to the school's generator. Jack watched Nikki as she looked through the microscope, slowly moving the stage from right to left and back again.

'What can you see?' he asked with interest.

'Hundreds of blood cells'

'Really? What do they look like?'

'Have a look for yourself' Nikki stood up and invited Jack to have a look. It took him a minute to look in the right way and see the blood cells for himself.

'Goodness! This is what our blood looks like?!'

'Close up, yes'

'How many cells do we have?'

'One drop of blood contains five million red blood cells'

'Really?'

'Yes. And one teaspoon of blood would be about one hundred and twenty drops'

'Good heavens! So, there are probably around six hundred million cells in this dish!'

'I…believe that is about correct!'

'So how do you find DNA in the blood sample?'

'Now that's where the high resolution is important. The DNA strands appear within the cells so we need to zoom in on one of these cells…if you'll allow me'

'Sure' Jack stood up again and let Nikki zoom in and focus the microscope on a single blood cell.

'Now look at that' she let him sit down and look again.

'Wow! That's…remarkable!' Jack saw in the flesh what he had previously only seen a diagram of. 'Your job is so fascinating!'

'It certainly is, although it can also be stressful at times too. I used to imagine doing your job and catching the bad guys'

'It's what I do best, but this job is stressful too, believe me!'

'Well, I think I have found a good pattern here. I just need to photograph it before having a look at a sample of the victim's blood'

Fifteen minutes later Nikki had prepared the sample and was once again looking through the microscope. As she zoomed in on a cell she looked up and down at the picture she had taken of the blood DNA several times before concluding;

'We have a match. The blood on the knife appears to be that of Gavin Harper so I can conclude with certainty that this knife is the murder weapon'

'Great. Can you tell me anything about the killer?'

'Hopefully. I will need to swab the knife handle and look for DNA on that after checking for finger prints'

Oh yes, we always carry finger print powder in our police packs. I'll get you some' Jack looked out the things she would need and before long Nikki had identified two fingerprints on the knife.

'Now to look at the prints we took from Mr Williams'

When the prints were viewed under the microscope Nikki looked between them and the prints from the knife even more times than with the blood samples'

'I don't think we have a match here' she informed Jack. 'We are looking at a completely different type of print from either of the prints that were found on the knife'

'So, you are saying that Adam Williams couldn't have used this knife?'

'Not unless he was wearing gloves and was careful not to get any prints or DNA on it'

'Not the result I was hoping for, but at least if he did wear gloves he wouldn't have been able to get them out of the school building so a search though all means of disposal should allow us to find them. I will ask J P and Ruby if they came across anything during their search for the weapon'

'Thank you for being so…accepting of the results'

'What do you mean?

'It's just…I've worked with so many detectives who are obsessed with making an arrest as quickly as possible in order to impress their superiors and to make themselves look good and will go to any length to do so even if it means twisting or ignoring vital forensic evidence!'

'Really? There are so many detectives like that now? I did know a few that would have behaved like that, but the real detectives are the ones who work with the evidence to find the real killers and bring real justice'

'Well it is a pleasure to be working with one of the real ones' she smiled as they cleaned up the lab.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 – Widening the Investigation

Nikki and the police team had a coffee break then reconvened in the staff room. Florence had rejoined them.

'Hi Florence, how is your dad?' asked Jack as he pulled up a chair for her.

'Getting better, thank you. The doctors and nurses are doing a great job despite the circumstances here'

'Thank heavens for heroes' said J P.

'So how did the post-mortem go?'

Jack and Nikki filled her in.

'So' said Jack 'The next step is to interview all Adam Williams' friends and take fingerprints and DNA samples from them. We will also need exclusion prints from the kitchen staff who may have used the knife prior to the killer. JP, Ruby, you will go to the kitchen to obtain these before doing a thorough search of all the bins in the school for any item such as gloves that could have been used by the killer when stabbing the victim'

'Yes Sir' said J P.

'Can we use the swabs on the kitchen staff too?' Ruby asked excitedly.

'I don't see why not, the more data we can get the better' agreed Jack. 'Nikki, perhaps you could quickly show them how to do it properly before coming with Florence and me to interview the suspects?'

'Sure'

Duly prepared, the team split up to undertake their assigned tasks.

The Manchester group had finished their game of charades and were having drinks in the canteen. Pete groaned as he took a sip from his paper cup.

'I've had a better cup a tea' he sighed.

'You don't say' agreed David.

'To be honest I'm surprised they have tea in here' remarked Karen. 'My cousin who came to this island two years ago said it was hard to find a decent cup of tea anywhere'

'They must be gettin' used to British tourists comin' suggested Jenny.

'A pity they didn't get steaks and chips in instead of that soup then' Pete continued his rant.

'Now that would be a lot more difficult to prepare for so many people and would be much more expensive' David pointed out.

'Says the man who went looking for a comfortable bed!' Pete fired back.

'Now, now, perhaps we should stick to playing games!' laughed Karen, jokingly separating the two men before they began to fight properly.

'I still can't believe you didn't get Batman!' Jenny pointed at David.

'Not really my kind of film or TV programme I guess' David defended himself.

'Flying Pete…Bird Boy…Fly to Me…' Pete lightened up and recalled some of David's incorrect guesses, doing the mime himself.

'I really like Brian and Tania and young Daisy' said Karen. 'They seem like a lovely family'

'I know' said Jenny. 'It's a pity our Chloe's not here. It would be nice for Daisy to have a friend her own age to be stuck in here with'

'I hope our kids are not worried about us' said Pete. 'They must have heard about the storm on the news'

'Oh they'll be too busy having parties, I'm sure' David reassured the others. At that moment there was a crackling noise as the tannoy came to life again.

'Oh no, what now?' Karen had an uneasy feeling. Jack's voice came over to prove she was justified.

'Good afternoon, this is Detective Inspector Jack Mooney. Could Karen and David Marsden, and Pete and Jenny Gifford please come to the staff room on the first floor immediately'

'Oh no, so they do want to speak to all of us' Jenny shared Karen's unease.

'I hope they don't expect us to testify against Adam!' Pete suggested defensively

'I suppose we'd better go and find out' David got up and the others followed him out of the canteen.

The group arrived at the top of the stairs and found the Detective Inspector waiting at the door for them. They were ushered into the room and asked to sit down.

'Good afternoon, I'm Detective Inspector Jack Mooney as you probably know by now, this is Detective Sergeant Florence Cassell and Dr Nikki Alexander'

David got a shock to see the woman he had been talking to on the bus the day before and was embarrassed when Nikki gave him a look of recognition. Jack continued.

'Following the post-mortem carried out on Gavin Harper, and some forensic analysis by Dr Alexander here, we have decided to expand our investigation'

'So, you have found evidence it wasn't Adam then?' asked Karen hopefully.

'We haven't been able to prove or disprove anyone's guilt at this stage, but we would like to speak to everyone who had contact with Mr Harper on the island prior to his death and take fingerprints and DNA samples to work with.

'Are you suggesting one of us did it!' retorted Pete.

'We're not accusing anyone of anything. But since you are among the only acquaintances the victim had we will have to exclude you all first'

'But there are hundreds, possibly thousands of people in this school' said David. 'Surely it could have been anyone?' he nervously glanced at Nikki, imagining her thinking the worst of him.

'That's true, but in the vast majority of murder cases the guilty parties turn out to be friends or relatives of the victim. Hence this is the standard starting point we work from'

'So, if you're going by the book then shouldn't you been speaking to the fiancee? Isn't it the partner who did it some high percentage of the time?' protested Pete.

'And there was a man Gavin stood up to at our hotel. Is he not also a more likely candidate since he might have had a grudge?' suggested Jenny.

'As Inspector Mooney has said we will be speaking to all Gavin's acquaintances' Florence assured them.

'Now, for the record, could you please all tell me your name and where you were and what you were doing between the time you arrived at the school last night and the time you heard about the murder?' Jack looked at Karen.

'OK. I'm Karen Marsden. The four of us plus Adam Williams arrived at the school together on a coach at around eleven. We all waited in the queue outside the hall for around ten minutes, then I suggested I would go to the canteen to get us some drinks. My friend Jenny here came with me and we spent half an hour waiting in the canteen queue. We had just returned and were about to look for the men in the queue when I saw you leading Adam away in handcuffs'

'And I assume you are Jenny?' Jack looked at Jenny.

'Yes, I'm Jenny Gifford. I went to the canteen with Karen and was also away from the group for thirty minutes. When Karen went away with yourselves I noticed Tiffany Smith crying and got the information about what had happened from her and I stayed with her for the rest of the night'

Florence noted this information down. 'And you Sir?' she prompted when she had finished, looking at David.

'David Marsden. I arrived with the others at eleven. About five past I went for a walk to see what facilities there were in here. I came back to rejoin my friends around eleven forty-five, only to find the place in chaos and Jenny and Pete comforting Tiffany who was hysterical.

'You went for a walk to check out facilities?' said Jack, incredulously. 'May I ask what you were looking for exactly?'

'Well, to be honest, I didn't like the idea of being so…close to people. I had hoped to find a quiet spot somewhere'

'Oh really? I don't think that's possible in these circumstances?' Florence was also puzzled.

'No, so I discovered' David bowed his head, not daring to look towards Nikki.

'So, where did you go?'

'I looked for open rooms on the two levels. I think I ended up in the medical room where I was not admitted as I am apparently well'

'Can anyone confirm where you were?'

'The nurse in charge might just remember me'

'OK I guess we'll speak to the nurse' Jack concluded. So, what about you?' he looked at Pete.

'Pete Gifford. I was the one who waited in the queue outside the hall with Adam while the others went off to do other things. We were together until just before eleven twenty-five when we were allocated our spaces and Adam went off to the gents. I got talking to a couple from Manchester and lost track of time. It must have been around quarter to twelve when I left the hall to look for Adam and discovered what had happened'.

'And this couple from Manchester – they would be able to back up your alibi?'

'Yes. Their names are Brian and Tania Ormsby'

'Thank you, we will speak to them'. Jack then addressed the whole group. 'Now, I know your acquaintance with Mr Harper and Miss Smith was a short one, but from anything they mentioned in conversation, can you think if there was anyone who might wish to harm Gavin?'

'There was that horrible bloke at the hotel I mentioned' said Jenny.

'And have you seen this man in the hall since you arrived?' Florence asked her.

'We saw him this morning when we were playing games, but he left the hall just before lunch time and we haven't seen him again since'

'OK' Jack moved on. 'Now Dr Alexander will take a DNA swab from each of you and your fingerprints will also be taken. After that, you are free to return to the hall, but if any of you wish, you can stay in the Head Teacher's office with Mr Williams since he is now no greater a suspect than any of you'

'Great. I will stay with Adam' Karen felt some relief. 'What would you three like to do?'

'I'll go back to the hall if you don't mind' said David, not wanting to be in a room with Adam and Karen.

'Perhaps we should stay in the hall too and look out for the man we need to point out to the police?' Pete suggested to Jenny.

'I agree' said Jenny. 'But can we all see Adam first?'

'Yes, I'll take you all to the room after Dr Alexander has finished with you'

'Who shall I swab first?' Nikki, who had been quietly listening to the interviews in the background, now came forward to do her job. David volunteered, deciding to get the embarrassment overwith, and she got him to open his mouth. Florence assisted by taking the finger prints at the same time and she started with Jenny.

Down in the canteen, J P and Ruby had finished taking fingerprints from Catherine's team of kitchen volunteers.

'Would you like a drink before you get back to work?' Catherine asked the officers.

'A quick one would be good' said J P.

'Yes please' agreed Ruby. As Catherine prepared coffees, J P asked her and her team

'Before we conclude, did any of you notice anything out of place in the kitchen last night, or see anybody that wasn't meant to be there?'

'I certainly didn't see anybody myself' answered Catherine, turning around, and the rest of the group all shook their heads in unison. 'But with the number of people coming in, and considering how busy we were it is possible we might not have seen them. I'm sorry'

'It's not your fault, Catherine. Nobody could keep a constant lookout in these circumstances' Ruby put a hand on her shoulder.

'We also don't normally work here so don't know how things are normally arranged' added a volunteer.

'Of course not' Ruby sympathised. 'We are just trying to find out as much information as we can since it will be hard to do the background checks we normally do on the victim and the suspects with no access to police systems'

'Um…I might be able to help' said a voice from behind them. The two police officers looked round to see a young female kitchen volunteer with a big smile on her face.

'Remind me who you are?' J P asked her.

'Polly Jackson. My usual job is at the Honore Palace where the victim and your English suspects were staying'

'And how do you know who the victim and suspects are?' Ruby quizzed her.

'Well, I saw the body in the corridor last night and I was then asked to take breakfast up to Adam Williams this morning, and I heard over the tannoy who your Detective Inspector wanted to speak to. Shall I go on?'

'OK and how do you think you can help us?' asked J P.

'Well, I make it by business to find out everything I can about the guests staying at my hotel. Helps me tailor our services to their needs'

'In other words, you spy on them!' Ruby chuckled, popping her eyes out at Polly.

'I think of it more as making them my best friends for the week or two they are with us'

'So, what exactly can you tell us about Gavin Harper and his fiancee and acquaintances?'

'You will be surprised – rather a lot. Almost as much as your computer system would tell you?'

'That's a lot of spying!' exclaimed Ruby.

'Perhaps we should find an empty classroom and have a chat' J P suggested. 'Do you mind if we borrow Miss Jackson for a while, Catherine?'

'Of course not. Please come back right away though, Polly, as the crowds will be coming through for their evening meal shortly.

'This shouldn't take long…I don't think!' Ruby tried to assure her. Catherine and the remaining volunteers went back to the kitchen and Polly followed the officers.

Once in a nearby music classroom, Polly got excited and started to play a tune on a xylophone and Ruby picked up a guiro to provide a bit of accompaniment. Poor J P had the task of breaking up the musical interlude.

'Um…girls? Shall we finish this interview before dinner time?'

'Dinner time? So it is! That's why I'm hungry!' Ruby noticed and put the guiro back in the percussion box. Polly followed her over to some desks.

'OK now that you are ready Polly, would you like to tell us what you know?'

'Goodness, where do I start?' Polly thought for a moment and J P and Ruby squinted at each other.

'Yes, I suppose I should tell you that Gavin Harper is…was a journalist with the Northern Gazette in York, England. He was engaged to Tiffany Smith who you will have spoken to. A bit of a drama queen that girl, and easily scared, but seemed decent. You should know, though, that Gavin had just told her when they were waiting in the hotel lobby to be allocated a room, that he didn't believe he would get an opportunity for promotion to an editor's job for at least five years – I got the impression Tiffany was counting on it being sooner and had plans for spending the extra money he would have earned'

'So you think she might have been marrying him for his money and perhaps looking for a way to get out of it without being thought badly of?' J P asked her to clarify.

'I suppose you could look on it that way'

'OK and what about the group they met. Did you overhear anything that might have suggested Adam Williams or any of the others might have had a motive?' asked Ruby.

'You know, I don't recall hearing anything about Adam that would give him a motive. Unless it was jealousy of his youth and career. Apparently, Adam feels out of place in the office he works in that is full of young people'

'I see' said J P.

'And then there is the slightly older man…David Marsden isn't it?' Polly continued.

'Does he have a motive too?' Ruby was getting excited.

'Not for killing Gavin, but it could be advantageous to him if Adam Williams was behind bars for a long time'

'Really? In what way?' J P was becoming just as intrigued as his partner.

'Well, the woman Adam is currently with, the tall blonde one…Karen isn't it?, is David's ex-wife, and I heard him mention to his other friend that he still loves her and has never given up on getting her back'

'So, you think he might have committed the murder and tried to frame Adam?' Ruby sat forward in her chair excitedly.

'Exactly' said Polly. 'And what's more David has been in prison – got off but who knows whether he was really innocent?'

'And how do you know that? asked J P.

'Oh, he had a few beers and started talking about it. Conspiracy to defraud, I think it was for. Something to do with selling fake flats in Hong Kong or something'

'Wow!' Ruby scribbled this down.

'And there's more' Polly continued. Karen herself is a publishing editor and Gavin's newspaper prints reviews of some of the books she publishes. Earlier this year she had a bit of a problem in that one of her authors who claimed to be a woman was actually a man, and she got her friend, the other woman in the group, to dress up and pretend to be this author for publicity interviews. I think the authors name was Nora, no Nina B…St John was it? No it was St James…Nina B St James!'

'The plot thickens!' commented J P who's eyes were now as wide as Ruby's.

'And I heard the two women whispering anxiously last night – apparently Gavin looked at…now what's her name again?...Jane? Jill?...No,Jen it was they call her…so anyway, Jen thought Gavin had looked at her thoughtfully and might have realised who she was and what they had done!'

'So they have a mutual motive you could say!' Ruby anxiously wrote down the details, excited for Polly to go on.

'That's right. And then there's Nina's…Jen's husband, Pete . He was a driver for the taxi company, MCR Cabs, that Gavin's paper use when their staff visit Manchester. Apparently, Pete and some of his colleagues had been overcharging clients. The paper found out and made a complaint, but the staff members couldn't identify with certainty which drivers were involved. Again, Gavin looked at Pete in a way that could have suggested he recognised him'

'So, Pete could have been in big trouble and therefore also has a solid motive for murder!' recognised J P.

'He does. And finally, there was this man who was harassing me that Gavin stood up to. His name is Edward Phillips and he has a serious attitude problem. He seemed to me to be the kind of guy who would have no conscience and be capable of any crime. He might have held a grudge and taken the ultimate revenge!'

'Yes we did hear about this man but didn't know his name until now, thank you very much for that' said J P. 'Have you seen him in the school?'

'Yes, he was in the canteen making trouble last night. I can point him out to you'

'That would be helpful' said Ruby. 'Gosh, that's a lot of information to work with'

'We'll pass this on to Inspector Mooney and he may wish to ask you more questions' concluded J P.

'Of course, I understand' Polly agreed, and the interview was over.

Adam once again did not know how long he had been sitting in the Head Teacher's office on his own since his last interview with the detectives. Following this interview and the finding of the knife in his rucksack, any hope he had of his nightmare coming to an end seemed to have been in vain and the more he thought endlessly about his situation the more he was becoming resigned to the fact that, unless some major miracle happened to prove his innocence he was going to have to spend the rest of his life in prison. He had no idea what the conditions were like in a Caribbean prison and the unknown frightened him. How would the staff treat him? Would he be bullied by his inmates? How often would his family and friends be able to come over and visit him? What would become of his son Matt? Would Karen take him on as his Godmother and how would that work out? Would he suffer at school for being the son of a convicted killer when the story got out? And would Karen decide a long-distance relationship on different sides of bars could never work and end her relationship with him before it had hardly begun? These thoughts gave rise to a bout of frustration and he got up, paced the room, took a book from the bookshelf behind the desk, threw it to the ground and swore. He paced back across the room and was about to sit down again when he heard voices outside, voices that seemed familiar, and moments later the key was turning in the door. Inspector Mooney ushered Adam's friends into the room, saying

'Here's your partner and friends to see you Mr Williams. I will let them fill you in on the latest news. I'll wait outside'

Once Jack had left the room, Karen ran up to Adam and threw her arms around him. She was quickly followed by Jenny and Pete and even David. They did not break apart for at least a minute. Finally, it hit Adam that he was no longer alone in his bleak thoughts and asked the others

'OK so what's this _latest news_ then? Is it good or bad?'

'Oh Adam' began Karen. 'I don't think it's either really. The good part is that you are no longer the only suspect…'

'Really?' A weight seemed to lift from Adam's shoulder, but the relief was short lived when he saw the serious looks on the faces of the others.

'The thing is, we are all under suspicion now' began Pete. 'It turns out that the DNA on the murder weapon was not yours, but since we were Gavin's only acquaintances apart from Tiffany and that horrible man at the hotel they are investigating us all!'

'This is crazy!' said Adam. 'They can't possibly have any evidence to suggest any of us were involved!'

'But they can't prove we aren't either, that's the problem' explained David.

'I'm sure when the storm is over they will use their forensic technology and see that it was that nasty man or someone else altogether, but the storm could go on for days!' sighed Jenny. 'Until it does I don't think any of us will sleep!'

'The better news is that you don't have to stay on your own in here any more!' Karen informed him and they stole another quick hug. A few minutes later Pete, Jenny and David said their goodbyes and returned to the hall while Adam and Karen were given mats from the hall.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 – The Night Shift

Back in the staff room J P and Ruby had filled the others in on their conversation with Polly.

'Gosh there are a lot of potential leads there!' exclaimed Florence.

'Do either of you know this Polly Jackson at all? Can we be sure that what she has told you is true?' Jack took a cautious approach.

'Well, I don't actually know her personally' said Ruby 'But I remember she was in my younger brother's year at school. He spoke of her as the school gossip and said she could be a bit annoying, but she never told any lies about anyone'

'She works at the Honore Palace and Catherine has taken her on as a kitchen volunteer for the duration of our time here' added J P.

'I guess Catherine must trust her then. OK we'll set up a board with all our suspects to date and perhaps we could write on the details we know for sure in one colour and the details given by Polly in another, just to keep them separate for now?' suggested Jack. Florence had brought up an easel and a large sheet of paper from the art classroom and Nikki now helped her to set it up.

'Will that be big enough?' enquired Nikki, who was used to having whole walls to work with.

'It's the size we're used to' Florence assured her, and she stood back to see how the Caribbean team did things.

'Now we haven't been able to print off any photos of our victim or suspects so we will just have to use text only' Jack began.

'Or artwork!' Ruby excitedly took a coloured pen and began to draw a stick man lying on the ground , then drawing figures above him to represent the mannequins.

'OK, thank you Ruby' Jack continued. 'So, what do we know about our victim?'

'Well we know for certain his name was Gavin Harper and he was twenty-nine years old' confirmed Florence. 'He was a journalist from York and was engaged to Tiffany Smith. He did not know anyone on Sainte-Marie except the group from England he and Tiffany had just met' Jack noted this down in black pen.

'According to Polly he worked for the Northern Gazette and he was going to have to wait a few years for an editing opportunity' added Ruby. Jack wrote this last piece of information in red.

'OK so what do we know about Tiffany Smith?'

'Hmm…twenty-seven, originally from Darlington, works as a book-keeper' Florence checked her notes from this morning. 'Says she was in the ladies' bathroom when Gavin was murdered' Ruby drew a stick woman, doing her best to avoid getting in Jack's way as he noted down the details.

'Polly said she had just been told by Gavin of a delay in his promotion and she was not pleased about this' J P advised, and this was written in red.

Half an hour later the board was complete with all the information known and assumed regarding all the suspects and a stick drawing to go with them all.

'So, where do we go from here?' asked Florence.

'Well, I think we need to have a chat with each of our suspects to try and ascertain whether what Polly told us is true.

'I agree. But looking at all the information we have so far, it looks to me like Pete Gifford has a solid alibi since he would have definitely had to wait in the queue to get the group's places in the hall and he has acquaintances to confirm this' Florence pointed out. Also, Adam Williams was with him for most of his time in the queue so wouldn't have had a big margin of opportunity to commit the murder either'

'And Adam's DNA did not match what was found on the murder weapon' Nikki reminded them.

'And Tiffany was with Gavin until a few minutes before he was killed as well' pointed out Ruby.

'True' said Jack. 'This David Marsden's story seems a bit strange, though, don't you think?'

'If you mean the story about him looking for better accommodation then yes!' agreed Florence. Am I right in gathering you had met this man before, Nikki?'

'Yes, I sat next to him on the bus from the airport yesterday' Nikki confirmed. 'He seemed to be chatting me up. I wasn't sure if I should be flattered or not. He didn't strike me as my type, though, so I was happy when we got to my hotel and discovered he was staying somewhere else, to be honest!' she laughed.

'Aside from the unwanted attention, did you learn anything about him that could be useful for the investigation, or did he behave in any way that might be typical of a murderer?' asked Jack.

'Not really. He just spoke about the storm but with a hopeful look in his eye. I kept him occupied talking about the preparations that were being made so didn't really learn anything about him'

'OK. Do we have any thoughts on any of the other suspects?' Jack moved on.

'The two ladies said they went to the canteen, where the murder weapon is believed to have come from, so they may have had the opportunity as well if the staff cannot be certain nobody unauthorised got into the kitchen' Florence pointed out.

'Yes, I agree' said Jack. 'That just leaves our unhappy Mr Phillips'

'He hasn't given an alibi as yet' J P pointed out.

'Yes, we need to speak to him in the morning. Locating him is a priority'

'There are certainly plenty people looking out for him so presumably it won't take long!' commented Ruby.

'Let's hope not' said Florence.

'Gosh, it's been a very full day and I'm exhausted!' said J P as they were wrapping things up. 'If we were back at the station I would be suggesting we go for a drink at Catherine's'

'And I would gladly join you!' exclaimed Ruby. 'My head is buzzing and I could do with something to help me wind down!'

'The best we can get in here would appear to be a tea or coffee' pointed out Jack.

'Actually, my mum told me they were serving hot chocolates last night' Florence informed them. 'That certainly helped a few of the medical room patients and their families to relax'

'OK so what say we to a hot chocolate at the temporary Catherine's then?' Jack looked around at his team and they all nodded.

'I think I'll work into the night and get the fingerprint and DNA samples we took from Adam Williams' friends analysed' said Nikki. 'That will help you in the morning'

'Surely it would be better for you to get some sleep and do the analysis with a fresh head in the morning?' suggested Jack. 'Besides, it is possible the murderer may be on the loose in the school so I would rather you were not working alone'

'I'll be OK, I've dealt with a lot of psychopaths in my time and can look after myself' Nikki assured him.

'Well I would still rather you didn't work alone'

'I had a break this afternoon so would be happy to stay up and assist Nikki, even if it is just lookout duty' suggested Florence.

'Are you sure you wouldn't be better to have a rest with your family?'

'It's no problem. My dad is making good progress and he has the rest of the family beside him'

'Well, if you both insist, but please come and have a hot chocolate with the rest of us first' Jack finally agreed.

It was after eight in the evening by the time the police team were seated with their hot chocolates in the canteen. Even though there was no alcohol they managed to switch off from work, no doubt due to sheer exhaustion.

'What is the accommodation like in the medical room?' J P asked Florence.

'Pretty much the same as in the main hall for non-patients' she informed him. 'Those who are sick were brought in on hospital beds and are being made more comfortable'

Is it quieter in there?' asked Ruby.

'At times. But one or two patients took bad turns in the middle of the night and that was disturbing to witness'

'We are in the gym with the families' Ruby advised the others. 'It is constantly noisy in there with babies crying and children complaining about being bored. I was imagining last night that the main hall must be the best place'

'It was fairly quiet at night' confirmed Jack, 'but it is much more crowded than anywhere else and people were getting restless and frustrated this morning'

'The woman on the mat next to me kept rolling over and squashing me last night' Nikki laughed at this now. 'The others in my area are not very open or friendly either. Two reasons I am happy to work tonight!'

'Let's just hope we get out of here tomorrow and get back to our own beds and hotels!' said J P and the others all agreed.

'Do you get storms like this in England?' asked Ruby.

'Nothing like this!' replied Nikki. 'There have been hurricanes and floods that have caused damage but nothing I can remember that resulted in a mass evacuation like this'

'You're lucky' said J P, just as a small tremor was felt.

'You have to put up with the wind, rain and snow over there but at times like this it seems worth it!' commented Jack.

'I'd miss the sun but not these storms' said Ruby.

An hour later, Jack, J P and Ruby had returned to their mats in their allocated hall and gym areas while Nikki and Florence had returned to the science lab.

'OK, here is the DNA sample we found on the murder weapon' said Nikki, laying the pattern she had drawn up out on a desk in front of her. 'Now, I need to get some of the saliva from each of these swabs, or rather cotton buds, onto a petri dish so that I can have a look for the DNA pattern and compare it to this one'

'OK. I'll get you a few more petri dishes' said Florence. 'I seem to remember they were in the cupboard over here'

'Thank you, Florence. Do you normally do finger-print analysis?'

'Yes, that's something we do at the station. Would you like me to have a look at the prints we took and see if there is a match with the prints on the knife?'

'That would be very helpful, if you don't mind'

'Not at all'

'By the way, forgive my confusion, but is it actually _Flor_ence or Flor_ence_? I have heard people addressing you by both pronunciations'

'Aha, good question. Well, officially it is the French pronunciation, but when Jack, that is Inspector Mooney, first arrived on the island he had terrible trouble pronouncing it correctly so I told him just to say it the English way and that seems to have stuck with everyone in the police team ever since! Feel free to say it your way if it is easier'

'OK then, if you don't mind. I assume Nikki is easy enough but I have no objection to being called Ni_cole_ if that's easier for you?'

'Ha ha, no Nikki is fine!' They chuckled and both got to work.

'Anything?' Florence asked after they had both worked for what seemed like an hour or two.

'No. No matches at all' Nikki sighed. 'What about the finger-prints?'

'No matches'

'OK let's try the samples from the kitchen staff to see what we can rule out'

They worked at those for another seemingly interminable period of time.

'I think I have finger-print matches for two of the staff' said Florence. 'Would you mind taking a look to confirm whether you agree?'

'Sure' Nikki looked through the microscope that Florence was using. 'Yes, I would say those were matches. So, if we assume the staff used the knife prior to it being used by the killer then it is likely the killer's prints are one of the two remaining – either this one or…this one!'

'I see, thank you'

'The DNA samples seem to confirm what you have found as well'

'Well I hope this will help the investigation even though we are not any further forward with identifying the murderer since none of our suspects who have given us samples to date appear to have got prints on the weapon'

'The only conclusion we can present is that it was either someone other than the group we interviewed, or the killer wore gloves or used some thing to avoid getting prints on the knife'

'Well I guess that's something at least. I don't suppose it was likely we were going to solve the case overnight'

'It's rarely simple as you are no doubt aware'

'Indeed' They began to pack away the equipment. 'So Nikki, what brought you to Sainte-Marie?'

'Well, I was supposed to be meeting my boyfriend here for a week's holiday. He lives in Washington and has a very stressful and important job so we decided, since a rare occasion arose when we both have leave at the same time, that we would find somewhere quiet and sunny and far from where either of us live and work, and have some quality time together'

'Oh dear, and you arrived to this – virtually the opposite of what you were looking for!'

'Yes, and Matt's flight was cancelled so he is still stuck in Washington!'

'Oh no, so you didn't even get to see each other!'

'No. But life rarely turns out the way you expected'

'No, you're right. It doesn't' Florence looked away from Nikki and appeared distracted.

'Are you OK?' enquired Nikki.

'Yes, it's just…nothing'

'I don't mean to pry but you seem to have the weight of the world on your shoulders for one so young. I know we barely know each other but if you want to talk about anything I'm known to be a good listener'

'Well, the thing is…my life has not exactly turned out the way I was expecting it to at the beginning of the year'

'I see. In what way…if you don't mind me asking?'

'Well, I was engaged to a lovely man and due to get married, but two days before the wedding…' tears welled up in Florence's eyes as the memory surfaced once again. '…he…he was killed…shot' the tears came on fully. Nikki put her arm around her new friend.

'I am so, so sorry, that is just awful!' The two women hugged for a few minutes. Nikki gave Florence a spare handkerchief to dry her eyes once they broke apart.

'I must say, you are very brave to continue your work on the island after what you have been through' Nikki remarked.

'Actually, I didn't, not until now anyway. A week after Patrice's funeral I left the island for Martinique and I have been staying with my aunt and uncle ever since. I still haven't decided what to do long term. I just returned to Sainte-Marie yesterday to be with my dad as he had a heart attack'

'Oh goodness, how is he?'

'Thankfully out of danger and making good progress'

'That's good at least, but it must have been an awful shock on top of everything else'

'Yes, it was'

'So how did you end up working with the police team again? And how has that been for you?'

'Well, I volunteered. I felt so much sadness for the victim's fiancee, who is going through everything I was, and worse since she is being investigated as a suspect, and I felt I had to do something to get her justice. Plus, it is great to see all my colleagues again. I have missed them so much, especially Jack I think'

'He seems like a great boss and an excellent detective from what I've seen so far'

'He is. He has also lost the love of his life – his wife died two or three years ago, just before he came to Sainte-Marie'

'Oh goodness, the poor man!'

'I know. I often think he was lucky that it was natural causes but then…I guess it hurts just as much. There have been so many times over the last six months when I have wished I could talk to him. Hear him tell me the pain won't last forever, that I'll get through this. But it is difficult when you are on different islands and he is always very busy'

'It sounds like you and Jack are close'

'We are. We spent a lot of time together last year after Jack's daughter returned to England to go to University and he was on his own. J P has a wife and Dwayne, our other colleague at the time, had found a girlfriend, and because I was single at the time I was the one who spent the most time with him. He became almost like a second father to me'

'You were lucky to have a boss like that. I had a boss, Leo, who I had a similar relationship with. My own father abandoned me as a child so Leo took his place in many ways'

'Gosh, I couldn't imagine growing up without my father. That must have been really tough for you'

'It was, but my love of science got me through it in the end. I loved Leo and was absolutely crushed when he was killed a few years ago. It was like…it was like losing my father!'

'Oh no, I'm sorry. I guess you understand grief too'

'Yes I do. I also lost my mother when I was a teenager and thought I would never get over that. But you know what? What you imagined Jack telling you is true. You never stop missing the person you loved but the sorrow does ease with time'

'Thank you Nikki. It really helps to hear this even though I have heard it said before'

'I am glad to be here for you. And you know what? We are survivors!'

'Yes, but being a survivor is not easy. You see…I almost died too. Patrice's killer shot me as well. I was left alone in an abandoned building and was terrified. At that point I didn't know whether Patrice was dead or alive, and the pain in my abdomen where I was shot…it was almost unbearable. I tried to call Jack but his phone kept going to voicemail. I really thought that was it, I was going to die. I was so scared, Nikki. If I hadn't though to try J P and somehow hung on long enough to describe where I was…'

'Oh Florence, how terrifying! That must have taken its toll on you psychologically?'

'I think it did for a while. There have been times I wished I hadn't survived. That I wasn't having to live with all this…'

'Oh, my friend, I understand, I do. I have faced death and terror too. I have been shot before and lived. But that's not all. Two and a half years ago I was in Mexico. I had gone for the funeral of a friend I believed had died. I ended up working for a group who searched for people kidnapped by a cartel. In the course of that I got drugged, captured and sealed in a wooden container, and I thought I was several feet under the ground. Being a doctor I was only too aware of how long I could survive in there with the oxygen that was available. I had no idea where I was, and although I had been given a phone and could talk to my colleague who was also in the country, he had no way of locating me. I lay there, screaming at times, resigned to fate at other times, and for the first time in my life admitting to someone else that I was afraid'

'Wow!' exclaimed Florence. 'It's no wonder you were afraid. Surely anyone would be in that situation, no matter how resilient normally?'

'I suppose so'

'And what happened in the end? How did you get out?'

'Well, when the time I had calculated ran out and I found myself still alive, I realised I couldn't possibly be underground. So, I broke the side of the container open…and was greeted by bright light, the light of the outside. I was actually on a hill, on an excavation site. If I had really been underground…I would have been crushed by falling earth. If I hadn't been a scientist…'

'Oh Nikki, what you must have suffered!'

'It wasn't just the event itself. When I got out and returned to England I struggled with the trauma for some time. I had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's very common in people who have been through things like we have'

'I have heard of that but have never really thought about whether I might have it'

'Well, have you felt any feeling of distress or anxiety in any situation that resembled any part of your ordeal? I started having panic attacks any time I was in a confined space'

'Umm…when I first came into the school and I had just been reunited with Jack, I saw Adam Williams holding Gavin's body. Seeing someone with blood pouring from a wound caused me to almost faint. I suppose that could have been described as a panic attack'

'It sounds like it. You should find a counsellor to speak to who specialises in PTSD. Assuming they have these services over here?'

'They have counselling services but nothing specialist like that, I don't think. I will have to look into it'

'Well, if you want to talk some more with someone who has been through similar things while I am on the island, or via Facetime after I leave, you are welcome to get in touch with me'

'Thank you. That means a lot to me'

'Anything for a fellow survivor' The two women hugged once again and left the lab for the night well after midnight, and as firm friends.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – New Day New Tensions

'Good morning ladies and gentlemen' the school awoke to the sound of Jack's voice on the tannoy once again. 'I am sorry to tell you that the storm is still in progress although it is beginning to move towards the south cost of the island. It does not, however, look like we will be able to leave the school today' Despairing groans and complaints, louder than those of yesterday, resounded throughout the hall, gym and medical room. 'We are making some progress in the murder investigation, however. Today we would like to speak to Miss Tiffany Smith once again, also Mr Edward Phillips, Mr David Marsden, Mrs Karen Marsden, Mrs Jenny Gifford and Mr Pete Gifford. Could these people please report to the waiting area outside the staff room on the first floor. Thank you' And there was a final hiss as the tannoy was switched off.

As well as the decline in people's moods, the hall was also becoming increasingly smelly due to the fact there were only four gym showers in the entire school and water was scarce. There were an increasing number of disputes over mattresses and floor space due to people having left the hall to seek food and drink and attend to nature. Friendships had also been formed and people negotiated with neighbours for swaps of spaces to allow them to be beside their new friends. And the fact that there was the prospect of a murderer being on the loose in the building made people afraid to move outwith the heavily populated areas or allow members of their family, particulary children and teenagers, to go anywhere alone. This was causing a lot of family arguments.

'What do they want from us now?' groaned Jenny as she sat upright. 'I barely slept and I am not feeling too good today. I could really do without this'. Pete put his arm around her.

'Don't worry, love. I'm sure they just want to ask another couple questions and then they will be finished with us. They can't make any arrests until they have completed their forensic work but as soon as we are out o' here they will confirm we are all innocent and this nightmare will be over. You can rest when we come back'

'I hope so. I can see all this making me ill again! It's the last thing I need!'

'I know, I know' Pete held her closer. He turned to David who was at his other side and made rude gestures regarding the police.

'I suppose we should go to the staff room and get this overwith' David suggested.

'I just hope that prick of a man comes forward or is found. Is that who this, what was his name, somebody Phillips is?'

'Who knows' shrugged David. Pete helped Jenny to her feet and the three of them headed out of the hall.

Tiffany was the first of the individuals summoned to arrive at the seating area outside the staff room and she sat in a chair staring into space, still feeling extremely numb and neither knowing nor caring what day it was. She was aroused by the approach of footsteps and anxiously wondered whether she was about to come face to face with one of the detectives or one of Adam Williams' friends. She had stayed in a hidden corner of the hall since her interview the previous day as she could not face being with Jenny and Pete and the others when their friend, and now possibly all of them, were under suspicion for her fiancee's murder. She got quite a shock when her companion from the plane appeared off the staircase and looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

'Oh Tiffany!' Nikki hurried over and gave her a hug. 'I am so sorry for what has happened'

'Thank you' relief at seeing a friendly face who was not a suspect coursed through her, until she spotted the cardboard box Nikki had laid on the floor containing the cotton buds and paper with squares for finger prints. 'W-what's this? Are you with the police?'

'No, I'm a pathologist. I assist the police but I am not one of them. I carried out a post-mortem on Gavin yesterday'

'I had heard it had been done but…I had no idea it was you!'

'It's lucky I was on the island at this time. If there had been no pathologist here the police wouldn't have been able to make much progress with the investigation until the storm was over'

'I see. Well…thank you'

'Listen, I am really sorry about this, but it is necessary for me to take some DNA and finger print samples from you'

'Why? You don't think I killed Gavin, do you?'

'No, of course not. It's just procedure. We are taking samples from all Gavin's acquaintances'

'OK, I suppose I understand'

'Would you like to come inside the staff room to do this? Inspector Mooney and DS Cassell should be here shortly. I don't know if they have any more questions for you'. Tiffany consented and they went into the room to begin the job.

Half an hour later, the fingerprint and DNA samples had been taken from Tiffany and Jack and Florence had arrived.

'Miss Smith, we have received information from a witness who overheard a conversation between yourself and Gavin the evening you arrived at your hotel' Jack began.

'What? Who?!' Tiffany seemed alarmed.

'I am unable to tell you who it was, but I need to ask you a couple of questions about what they told us. Now, I understand Gavin was a journalist with the Northern Gazette, is that correct?'

'Yes'

'That's a very good job for a young man. Was he quite ambitious?'

'Moderately. He hoped to become an editor one day?'

'And was that likely to happen in the foreseeable future?'

'He had applied for the editors' training programme earlier this year but had just been told he had been unsuccessful. The next opportunity won't be for a few years'

'That must have been a big disappointment for him…and for you as his future wife'

'Yes, he was gutted, but he was never going to give up. I was disappointed for him, a bit mad really as I know he worked much harder for it than some of his colleagues that got accepted'

'You were mad about the injustice' Florence clarified and Tiffany nodded.

'Yes. It seemed so unfair'

'The extra money he would have earned as an editor would have given you both a privileged lifestyle, would it not?' Jack pursued his lead.

'Yes, but…are you implying I killed him because he wouldn't be earning as much as I hoped?!'

'Our source seemed to think you might be concerned about that'

'What?! I never said…whoever your source was has obviously misheard or misunderstood our conversation. I was only _concerned_ about how unfair the newspaper's decision was to Gavin. If I wanted to marry for money I could just have left Gavin and found somebody richer, could I not?! For goodness sake, I _loved_ him!' Tiffany screamed before bursting into tears.

'OK I believe you' Jack backed off as Florence noted what had been said. 'We just had to follow up on that lead, but we are not accusing you of anything. That will be all for now. Thank you for your time, Miss Smith'

Tiffany stood up and left the room without looking at Jack, Florence or Nikki.

'Poor girl, she doesn't strike me as a potential killer' said Nikki when the door had closed.

'Me neither' agreed Florence. 'Do you agree, Inspector, or is my judgement clouded?'

'You still seem to be capable of making an unbiased assessment' Jack assessed her 'And I have no reason to believe she is lying either. I sense feelings of betrayal which are understandable. We just need to be sure the evidence backs us up'

'Of course' said Florence and Nikki agreed.

Tffany was desperate to get back to her quiet corner away from prying eyes after that interview but was confronted by Jenny in the waiting area outside.

'There you are, Tiffany love. We wondered where you were. We was worried about you'

'Oh I…I just felt like being alone, thank you' she briefly replied and turned to walk on.

'I understand, but if you feel like company or someone to talk to…'

'I'm happy on my own, thank you'

'OK but you know where we are'

'Right' Tiffany hurried away without engaging with Jenny any further.

'She seems more tense this morning' commented Pete once she was out of earshot.

'She doesn't seem to like us any more. I hope she doesn't think we are responsible'

'It's a really tough time for her. It's maybe nothing personal' Pete tried to assure her.

'Plus, we don't know what the police have been saying to her' added David.

'True' Pete shook his head at the mention of the police once again. At that moment the door opened and Jack came out to address them.

'Good morning Mr Marsden and Mr and Mrs Gifford. I had forgotten Mrs Marsden was in the Head Teacher's office with Mr Williams. No sign of Mr Phillips then?'

'Doesn't look like it' said David.

'OK. Mr Marsden, we would like to speak to you first – please go inside the staff room. Mr and Mrs Gifford, would you mind joining your friends in the Head Teacher's office for just now and we will come and get you when we are ready for you? I will let you in now. And with that he led them away, leaving David wondering what to expect inside.

Ten minutes later Jack was seated in the staff room once again between Florence and Nikki, this time with David sitting opposite them.

'Thank you for joining us Mr Marsden. We would just like to ask you a few questions following on from our brief chat yesterday' he began. Could you please talk me through, once again, what you did when you arrived in the school building the night before last?'

'Of course. Well, as you know, I arrived on the bus with my friends at eleven, and we all joined the queue for the hall together. When I saw how crowded and cramped the hall spaces were, and also noticed people heading in other directions, I decided to have a look around and see if I could find a more private spot. I'm quite a private person, you see'

'You thought you would find a private spot in a refugee zone with over one thousand people in it?' Florence asked him incredulously.

'Well, I thought there might be, say, a bench somewhere. I know how it looks but I have had to sleep rough before and have found hidden spots even then so did not easily resign to sleeping in the hall'

'You have slept rough?'

'Yes, twice. I lost my job and my home three years ago and ended up sleeping in my car. Then earlier this year things went bad again and I ended up sleeping at Manchester airport. I found a bench in a dark corner there'

'And you prefer a hard bench to a relatively comfortable mat and blanket?'

'I prefer to sleep alone' He looked down at his hands for a few seconds. 'I do, but to tell you the absolute truth so that you understand, I was finding the idea of sleeping in close proximity to my ex-wife and her new partner rather an uncomfortable one. Surely you must understand that?'

'I see. So, where in the school did you go after you left the hall queue?' Jack went on to his next line of enquiry.

'I went along the corridor to the left and found no chairs in the corridor. All the classrooms were locked. I then tried the adjacent corridor where I found the medical room. There were less people in there so I asked if I could sleep there but the nurse at the door told me it was only for sick, elderly and disabled people and their families. Apparently I'm not old enough. My daughters would be surprised! …Anyway, I carried on up the stairs and along the top-level corridors and found nothing open but the gym which was crowded with screaming children. So, I decided at that point that I was just going to have to rough it with the others and swallow my pain after all'

'Did you enter the canteen or kitchen at all?' Florence asked.

'No, I didn't bother trying that corridor. There was a queue all the way back to the hall so would have got no privacy there anyway'

'And what time did you return to the hall area?' Jack continued.

'Around eleven fifty. I found the place in chaos by then as I told you last night'

'Did anyone see you in the corridors when you were searching for alternative accommodation?' Nikki asked him.

'There was just the nurse at the door of the medical room as I said before. She might remember me. I wouldn't recognise anyone else I saw if I saw them again'

'OK we will speak to the nurse as I said' Jack continued. 'Now, there is just one more thing. You mentioned your ex-wife, Karen isn't it?'

'Yes, that is correct'

'How is your relationship with Karen now?'

'Well, we separated nearly twenty years ago but we are still friends'

'I must ask you, do you still love her?'

'What? Why? I mean, we were happily married for several years before things went wrong. I'll always care about her'

'You also said it was tough for you seeing her with her new partner. It must be especially hard when that partner is you friend Adam Williams?'

'Of course!, it was rather a shock when I learned they were seeing each other. It is taking me a bit of time to come to terms with the idea, but I'll get there'

'But perhaps if Adam was behind bars for a long time you might have some chance of getting Karen back?'

'What…what are you suggesting?! I would happily turn back the clocks to the time we were happy, but Karen has made it clear she is not interested in ever getting back with me so that's that. My issue with their relationship is not jealousy, I am just worried Adam will break her heart since he has always been a womaniser who rarely settles down. Besides, if I had really decided to get her away from Adam through…_murder_, do you not think I'd be more likely to kill Adam himself rather than frame him by killing an innocent young man I had only just met and who had done me no wrong? There are times I have felt like doing that, believe me, but…I'm not a _murderer_!'

'You make a good point there' agreed Nikki. 'But we have been informed that you have been in trouble with the law before, Mr Marsden. Is that correct?'

'Who told you…did one of my friends tell you that?!'

'A source overheard you talking about your previous troubles' said Florence. We are unable to name that source, but could you please answer the question?'

'Yes, I was accused of conspiracy to fraud three years ago and I was sent to prison for a few days since I was unable to prove my identity as my passport was missing, but when you are able to access your systems once again you will see that the charges were dropped. Even if I had been guilty, surely murder is a big step up from conspiracy to fraud?!'

'I guess it is' decided Jack. 'OK, I think that will be all for now unless there are any further questions?' Nikki and Florence both shook their heads, so David was dismissed. He went for a walk around the corridors to clear his head after his interview.

'Hmmm, he seems quite proud despite all he says he has been through, but he just doesn't seem like a psychopath either' said Nikki.

'No, he just strikes me as your everyday corrupt businessman who got caught out' agreed Jack 'although I am surprised it took him forty minutes to search the corridors. It's hardly a large school'

'I guess it depends how much time he spent trying to negotiate with the nurse for admission to the medical room' said Florence. 'A few people did come up and beg for such a long time that the poor nurse was pushed to the limits with her patience'

'And perhaps he was in no rush to rejoin his ex-wife and her partner and took his time' suggested Nikki. 'He has been frank about his feelings about that situation and I can imagine that must be very hard for him'

'I suppose so' said Jack. 'Well, let's wait and find out what the nurse says'

Jenny and Pete were seated in the Head Teacher's office, filling Adam and Karen in on what was happening since the tannoy could not be clearly heard in this room.

'So, they want to interview all of us again, one by one, do they?' gasped Karen.

'It would appear so' confirmed Pete. 'David is in there now'

'Am I to be interviewed again as well?' asked Adam.

'Your name was not called, so presumably not' said Jenny.

'What else did they say about the investigation' asked Karen.

'Only that they had made progress' said Pete.

'Apart from that they just gave us the news that the storm is still in progress and we won't get out of here today' sighed Jenny.

'But the storm is moving south which made it sound like it might not be much longer' added Pete.

'Well, that's hopeful at least' agreed Adam. Just then the door opened and Jack walked in.

'OK ladies, can we speak to the two of you next, please?' he looked between Karen and Jenny, who looked bewildered as they stood up and wondered why they were to be interviewed together while the others were being summoned individually. When they had left, Adam turned to Pete and said hopefully;

'You didn't by any chance happen to bring a pack of cards in with you? I could do with something to take my mind off all this'

'I agree, but I'm afraid I didn't bring any games with me' He looked around the room. 'But I know what we could do. There is a big dictionary up on the shelf there. Why don't I pick a word and see if you can guess the meaning?'

'Hmm…not as much fun as having a pint with you or even playing cards, but since there's nothing else to do…why not!'

Pete reached for the dictionary and turned a few pages before settling on a word. 'rangiferine'

'Rang…_what_?'

'Ran-_gif_-er-ine'

'Is it a Caribbean tangerine?'

'Ha ha, no, but a good guess. Think animals'

'Animals? Is it a type of porcupine?'

'No. Think Christmas'

'Christmas? It must be a type of reindeer then'

'Close. Relating to, or resembling, the reindeer or caribou'

'OK, but I was practically right, right?'

'I guess so'

'Alright, my turn' Adam took the dictionary from Pete. 'Let me see…OK, here we go. Jacaranda'

'Jacaranda? Well, is Inspector Mooney's first name not Jack? Is it the colour of his backside when I have finished slapping him, tying him to a roundabout and pushing hard?' They both laughed.

'No, but that's much better than the real meaning!'


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – The Interviews Continue

Karen and Jenny looked at one another in astonishment once again as they sat down at the table in the staff room and Jack sat down opposite them. He began the interview with a surprise for them.

'Good morning Mrs Marsden and Mrs Gifford…or should I say Nina B St James!'

'What…how on earth…!' gasped Jenny in shock.

'How could you possibly know about that…and what has it got to do with this!' retorted Karen.

'Oh, quite a lot, actually' Jack insisted. 'A source informed us you were talking about this little scam of yours at your hotel the night you arrived'

'What source?' demanded Karen.

'I'm not at liberty to say, Mrs Marsden, but needless to say it puts you both under suspicion'

'But how?' asked Jenny. 'Just because this could be seen as a little bit…_dishonest_ surely doesn't imply we could be _murderers_!'

'The scam in itself is not evidence of your capability of committing a serious crime, you are correct about that. But the fact that Gavin Harper worked for a newspaper that reviewed the book you published, Mrs Marsden, and carried out that review on the basis of the false information you presented, gives you both a motive. It would be pretty bad for you both if Mr Harper recognised you, Mrs Gifford, as the woman claiming to be the author in question and exposed your little charade, would it not? We could be talking about fraud charges against you both in addition to the end of your publishing business, Mrs Marsden'

'But we didn't even know what newspaper he worked for!' protested Karen. 'On that night at the hotel we were just joking about the fact he was a journalist and might have seen the book review. I can't see how he could recognise Jenny as the fake author when he wasn't the reviewer we spoke to!'

'He could have seen your photo in his paper so it is possible. Plus, our source seemed to be under the impression you were both worried he _had_ recognised you'

'Well, whoever that was must have been mistaken' stated Jenny decisively. 'Besides, how could we have had time to commit a murder when we were waiting in a _very_ long queue for hot drinks when it happened?'

'Did you speak to anyone in the queue who could confirm you were waiting with them the entire time you were away from your group?' asked Florence.

'Just a local, older Caribbean woman who spoke about the storms she experienced in her youth. We didn't get her name or anything' answered Karen, more calmly than she had been speaking to date.

'And we can each testify that the other was with us the entire time between when we arrived at the school and when the murder was committed' said Jenny. 'Is that not sufficient confirmation of our alibi?'

'If it could be confirmed that the murder was carried out by a single individual then yes' clarified Jack. 'But multiple fingerprints and DNA samples have been found on the murder weapon, plus it would be very difficult for either of you to lift a man's body alone and drop it from the mannequin stand, so my suspicion in this case would be that the two of you could have been working together'

'That's a very good theory indeed, Inspector' acknowledged Karen, 'But you are forgetting that I am in a relationship with Adam Williams and we are both very happy. Give me one good reason why I would drop the body to him and frame him for murder?'

'And as far as I am concerned Adam is a very good friend, my husband's best friend, so I have no reason to want to frame him either' stated Jenny.

'And didn't we give you DNA and fingerprint samples yesterday?' added Karen 'So surely we can be ruled out?'

'You make good points' acknowledged Nikki, 'but as far as your last one is concerned, Mrs Marsden, how do we know you didn't keep your fingerprints and DNA off the weapon by wearing gloves or using something such as, say…a towel?'

'And why would we have brought gloves to the Caribbean?' asked Jenny.

'Gloves were only an example. But there are surely plenty of towels and cloths in the canteen kitchen?' Nikki insisted.

'But then we would have had to sneak by the staff to get in there' said Karen.

'They are a newly formed group of volunteers who do not necessarily know each other so it might not have been difficult' argued Jack. 'But you are good at this, ladies. Perhaps you could be detectives!'

'And one more thing, Inspector' said Jenny. 'I've been ill, very ill this year. I've had breast cancer. Just finished chemo a few weeks ago' and with that she pulled off her wig to prove the point. Jack, Florence and Nikki did their best to avoid showing shock at seeing her almost bald head.

'I'm…sorry to hear that' said Florence, with genuine compassion.

'I am still quite weak and get tired easily' continued Jenny. 'Once you can access my health records, I am sure you will be able to get confirmation I do not have the energy to lift a man's body, even with help!'

'I do understand' Jack softened. 'My wife had cancer, so I know what the treatment does to you. But I didn't know about your illness, Mrs Gifford, and have to follow up every lead. Anyway, that will be all for now. Thank you for your time'. Jenny replaced her wig and she and Karen marched back to the Head Teacher's office.

'Wow!' said Nikki.

'That poor woman. She is obviously genuine regarding her illness' remarked Florence.

'It would appear so' agreed Jack. 'I remember when Kathleen, my wife, finished her first round of chemo. One minute she would think she had the energy to do anything and we would, say, go to a social event we had been invited to, but after an hour or two she would be feeling exhausted and need to be taken home. This went on for months and we were told that even for people who survive the disease the fatigue can continue for as long as a year or even two'

'I'm so sorry about your wife' said Nikki.

'Well, it's been three years now, but I still miss her. Anyway…' he diverted the conversation away from the subject as he often did and got back on point with the case '…I doubt Jenny could be our killer unless she had a lot of help, and not just from one other woman. Both of them gave very good defences against all the points we threw at them, though, so we do have to consider that they could have been rehearsed'

'True' said Nikki. 'Karen seems intelligent and strong minded and a no-nonesense woman. The sort of person who would know what to say in an interview and could have helped Jenny and her other friends prepare for the possibility of having to speak to us. Perhaps that's not necessarily suspicious in itself?'

'I suppose you are right' agreed Jack. 'Well, I'll go and get our next suspect, shall I?' and he left the room.

'Just to think' Florence turned to Nikki. 'We are so vain about our hair and yet some women would be grateful just to have any!'

'I know, it almost makes me feel guilty about the money I spend on hair products and the time I put into getting mine to look nice!' Nikki agreed. 'I wouldn't be in Jenny's shoes for all the money in the world, although at this point in time I certainly wouldn't miss having unwashed hair clinging to my face and neck!'

'You don't say!' said Florence, tucking a few stray strands into the band that was tying her own hair up.

'Manticore' Pete fired at Adam.

'Is it some kind of cloak, like a mantle?' Adam guessed.

'No'

'I know, it's a cover for a computer core!'

'No. Surely you would know If it was that? Think monsters'

'Monsters? A type of dragon?'

'No, but not a bad guess'

At that point the door burst open and Karen and Jenny entered looking thoroughly harassed. The two women sat down and took deep breaths.

'You two look like you've just run the London Marathon!' joked Pete.

'I feel as if I have' Jenny shut her eyes.

'I'll go and get you some water' said Karen and left the room.

'Are you OK love? Shall we be quiet and let you have a rest?' Pete went over and addressed his wife.

'I'm fine, I'll just rest me eyes for a bit. Carry on with whatever you were doing'

'See them police? I hope they didn't harass you'

'I coped' Jenny opened her eyes for a minute and smiled at him.

'Good stuff'

The door then opened and Jack entered.

'Mr Gifford, could you come with me now, please?'

'Yes, Sir' Pete pretended to be obedient.

'What was the answer before you go?' Adam asked.

'Oh, it's a mythical Persian creature, a bit like an Egyptian sphinx'

'I wouldn't like to meet one of those!' exclaimed Adam.

'Me neither' Pete continued to engage with his friend.

'Mr Gifford, if you please' Jack was becoming impatient, so Pete reluctantly followed him out of the room, just as Karen returned with Jenny's water.

Adam turned to Karen and Jenny. 'You two seem like you've had an ordeal'

'That's putting it mildly!' Jenny finally spoke.

'Someone's been talking about us to the police' said Karen. 'They knew all about Jenny pretending to be Nina B St James'

'Eh? How on earth would anyone here know about that!'

'Someone overheard us talking at the hotel when we arrived, apparently' Jenny filled him in.

'Who would that have been?' Adam was puzzled.

'So we can rule you out then?' Jenny looked at him fully.

'Of course. Why would I be telling the police about that? I'd hate for either of you to get into trouble and go through what I have. And what has it got to do with Gavin's murder anyway?'

'Apparently he worked for the Northern Gazette and they reviewed _Nina's_ book' Karen told him.

'That detective was convinced we must have killed Gavin together to avoid fraud charges and Karen losing her business! Can you believe that!' Jenny vented her anger.

'But that's ridiculous!' agreed Adam.

'We gave as good as we got, though, didn't we Jenny?' Karen tried to be positive.

'Yep. Tore apart every argument he made against us, we did!'

'Good on you, girls!' Adam smiled.

'Where's David?' Karen suddenly noticed he was missing.

'I don't know. He hasn't been back here since his interview' Adam informed her.

'You don't think it could have been him that spoke to the police about us, do you?' Jenny voiced the though she had just had. 'It would explain why he is avoiding us?'

'No, there' no way he'd do that!' Karen objected.

'Who else could it have been, though?' asked Adam.

'There's no way it was Pete. You know how irked he's been with the police since we got here – and he wouldn't do that to me or his friends!' Jenny insisted before anyone went there.

'No, my best friend wouldn't stitch up his wife and her friend' agreed Adam.

'The only other logical conclusion in my mind is that it must have been Tiffany' suggested Karen. 'She was the only other person actually sitting with us that evening, except for poor Gavin of course. She might have heard us joking about Gavin recognising Jenny when she was walking back from the ladies. We forget young people have better hearing than us'

'I think you have a point there' agreed Jenny. 'She was a bit off with me this morning and has been avoiding us'

'So…do you think then that…she might have done it?' Adam voiced his next thought.

'Well yes, we think there is a good chance she grassed on us!' retorted Jenny.

'No, I mean, do you think she killed Gavin? It would explain why she is trying to make us look guilty!' They were all thoughtful for a moment or two.

'Goodness, I really wouldn't have thought so the night it happened' said Jenny. 'She seemed genuinely distraught'

'But psychopaths can be good at putting on an act' Karen pointed out. 'Besides, is it not the partner some high percentage of the time?'

'Hmm…you could be right I suppose' agreed Jenny.

'Scary' said Adam.

Pete had just repeated his alibi about being in the queue for hall places right up until the time of the murder.

'OK, so our officers will be speaking to Mr and Mrs Ormsby today to confirm your story' Florence concluded that part of the interview.

'There is just one thing we need to address with you, Mr Gifford' Jack went on. 'I understand from a source who overheard a conversation you had with your friends the night you arrived on the island, that you work, or did work, for a taxi company called MCR Cabs. Is that correct?'

Pete was stunned. 'Y-yes I did a few years ago, but how did you know that? Who was listening to our conversation? Is the whole island bugged or something?!'

'No, I assure you that is not the case' said Jack 'But a source we cannot name told us you worked for this company'

'A source you cannot name?! What nonsense! Is it not illegal here to record someone's conversation without their consent?!'

'Mr Gifford, I assure you nobody recorded or filmed your conversation to our knowledge. They just quoted what they could not help overhearing'

'I suppose you have people listening to visitors' conversation all over this God-forsaken place, do you? I knew we should have stuck to holidays in Europe!'

'No, we respect the privacy of our residents and guests here, as much as in the UK anyway. I would just advise you to be careful not to talk out loud about anything you might not want others to hear in future. People often cannot help hearing'

'Oh, I see, so it's my fault, I should have known!'

'Look, I am sorry we don't seem to have hit it off, but I really need to ask you a couple of questions about your time as a taxi driver. if you could please just co-operate it shouldn't take long'

'And what has that got to do with this murder case?' Pete asked legitimately.

'We'll get to that shortly' Jack was not to be deterred from his strategy. 'Now, I've known quite a few taxi drivers in my time. My uncle Gerry was a taxi driver in Cork at one point. It's not an easy business to be in, is it?'

'Well, no. I don't know about Ireland in your Uncle Gerry's time, but it's very difficult in this day and age in Manchester. Too many people in the job, havin' to pick up drunks that can't get out of the car again, bloody foreigners comin' in that don't know the area and gettin' us a bad name for takin' too long to get folk home'

'I see. So, it must be tempting to make a bit more money for yourself by, say, fiddling your taxes, or charging customers a bit more than you should?'

'You won't find a driver in Manchester that doesn't fiddle their takings. They charge us an arm an' a leg in taxes while those big companies in London put all their profits in tax havens and pay nought! You can't blame us for trying to redress the balance!'

'I'm not here to judge you for that, but what about overcharging? Surely that's just as unfair to your customers as the tax system seems to you?'

'Many drivers admit to that as well. Just with the business customers from big firms, mind. Their employers pay their taxis after all and it's not as if they can't afford it!'

'So, what about staff from newspapers, say. Would you overcharge them?'

'Newspaper staff? Wait…did someone accuse me of overcharging Gavin or one of his colleagues? I suppose you think I killed him to avoid getting caught?! I know I said some taxi drivers overcharge but I never did so I had nothing to fear from Gavin!'

'Well, it's a possibility we have to consider when you were heard saying you thought Gavin had recognised you as a driver from MCR, a company known to have overcharged staff from the Northern Gazette. So, did you?'

'No! Is it not obvious that I had no opportunity or means, and that my apparent motive is not solid? My friends and I had been joking about Gavin being a journalist and the things he might have reported on us doing if he really knew us. We were not seriously threatened by him! Plus, did you not analyse my DNA and discover it was not at the crime scene?'

'We have not found your DNA or fingerprints on the murder weapon' confirmed Nikki. 'But that does not confirm you did not handle the weapon using gloves or some other means of keeping any means of us identifying you off it'

'So, I just had an innocent laugh with my friends one evening , and happened to meet someone that later got killed, and suddenly I'm automatically a murderer?'

'Nobody is accusing you of being a murderer!' asserted Jack. 'We are just following up on every lead. We will call you back if any further questions come to light but for now, thank you for your time Mr Gifford'

'Well, thank you for wasting mine!' Pete almost stormed out of the room.

Jack, Florence and Nikki breathed a sigh of relief and looked at each other.

'Well, he clearly doesn't like us!' said Florence.

'That's putting it mildly!' agreed Jack. 'He is clearly opinionated, sarcastic and impatient and also confident of his alibi'

'It is rock solid, assuming this couple he met in the hall queue back it up' Nikki pointed out.

'True' said Florence. 'But he is convinced we have it in for him'

'Indeed. I don't think he was telling us the truth when he said he didn't overcharge himself though' said Jack. 'He was more or less about to admit it before he realised the significance of the query'

'If his alibi is so solid why would he need to lie?' wondered Nikki.

'Exactly' said Jack. 'That's what we need to consider'

Adam, Karen and Jenny were still discussing their suspicions when Pete burst back in.

'Bloody useless police!' he ranted. 'Clutching at straws they were! Apparently someone told them I had worked for MCR Cabs and was worried Gavin had recognised me as a driver that may have overcharged him when he travelled with us on newspaper business! Hence I had a reason to want him dead!'

'You too, eh?' Jenny got up and took Pete's hand, encouraging him to sit down and calm down.

'What do you mean?' he looked around at the others.

'The police knew things about Jenny and I as well' Karen told him. 'Things we spoke about in the hotel bar the evening we arrived, remember when Gavin was at the bar and Tiffany at the ladies?'

'Oh great, so they know about your little deception? You'll have a motive too then!'

'Yes, that detective virtually tried to accuse us!' confirmed Jenny.

'And they will know a lot about David as well, no doubt. I wonder if he is being held somewhere?'

'We were just discussing who might have been doing the talking' said Adam.

'Unless…not David?!' Pete gasped.

'We think it was more likely to have been Tiffany' said Karen. 'It has even occurred to us that she might have murdered her fiance and is trying to frame us'

'I guess that's a possibility' Pete agreed. 'Or could it have been that horrible man, Phillips I think they said his name was. He was at our hotel too, wasn't he?'

'Yes, but I don't remember him being in the bar' said Adam.

'Unless he was sitting in that booth with his back to us' Jenny thought.

'I suppose, it was hard to see over the high chairs' agreed Karen.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. 'What now!' sighed Adam as Karen went to open it.

'David!' she gasped. 'Where have you been?!'

'I needed to clear my head after my…interrogation. It was rather unpleasant' he informed them. 'Adam, you didn't tell the police about my brush with the law, did you?'

'No! For Christ's sake, I know we've had our differences lately but having been locked up in here for two nights and virtually accused of murder I wouldn't wish the same thing on anyone…not even you!'

'Plus, David, you are not the only one someone has been talking about. The police knew things about Jenny, Pete and me as well' Karen informed him.

'Oh. Well, in that case…I'm sorry Adam'

'Apology accepted' Adam did not pursue the matter any further.

'So, where did you go?' asked Jenny.

'I had a walk around the school and went to get some lunch. I brought rations for everyone' David carried in what was literally five wrapped field rations containing essential nutrients and handed them out to his friends. He then produced a very small bottle of water from his pocket along with five plastic cups.

'So, no soup today even?' commented Pete.

'No, I think they were hoping we'd be out by now' David advised. 'Just basic essentials from now on, I'm afraid'

'I guess we'd better tuck in then!' said Karen and they all did so before David filled them in on his interview and the others told him what they had been discussing in his absence.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 – The Man Hunt

After their own unsatisfying lunch of field rations, the whole police team, plus Nikki, had reconvened in the staff room for a briefing to collate all the information that had been gathered that morning. J P and Ruby were filling their superiors in on the information they had gathered through making enquiries in the hall and canteen.

'The first piece of good news is that we managed to locate Brian and Tania Ormsby' began J P. 'And they have confirmed that Pete Gifford was in front of them in the hall queue the entire time between when they all arrived here and when the spaces were allocated, and that they were then talking until around eleven forty-five when Pete left to look for his friends. They also confirmed that Adam Williams was with Pete until the spaces had been allocated'

'OK so it looks like Pete Gifford has a solid alibi and Adam Williams had very little opportunity after all' said Jack.

'We also spoke to the duty nurse in the medical room' said Ruby. 'She said she remembered a man fitting David Marsden's description, who was not eligible to sleep there, coming in to ask for accommodation and being refused, although she couldn't remember for certain if it was David when we showed her the photo on your phone. We did ask one or two of the patients and their families, though, and a few of them remembered the man's visit as well and think it probably was our suspect'

'I guess it is hard to remember when there are so many people going around, but it sounds as if David Marsden was probably telling the truth, about visiting the medical room, anyway' Jack sympathised. 'Anything else?'

'We spoke to Catherine and some of her staff and showed her the photos of Karen Marsden and Jenny Gifford but none of them could remember for sure if they had served them on the night we arrived' said J P. 'A couple we spoke to in the hall did say they remembered seeing them arriving back at the hall area holding cups of tea before splitting up to attend to Adam and Tiffany, though'

'So that would suggest they probably waited in the queue, then, in which case they would not have had time to kill Gavin?' said Florence.

'Quite possibly, unless someone else got the drinks for them' Jack looked at all options.

'Another lady in the hall said she definitely saw Tiffany Smith in the ladies' room just before the murder' said Ruby. 'And you'll never believe this – the same person knew who Edward Phillips was from the hotel the suspects were all staying at and said she could swear she saw him in the art corridor just before Gavin's body was dropped!'

'Well, well, so it's starting to look like he may be our prime suspect, considering he didn't show up to speak to us this morning in addition to this new revelation. Tiffany does not appear to have had the opportunity if this witness can be trusted'

'She seemed genuine' confirmed J P.

'And did you find anything suspicious in the bins?'

'No gloves, towels or handkerchiefs or anything similar' said Ruby. 'Although they could have used a towel from the kitchen and put it back in place, could they not?'

'True. But there would surely have been some blood spatter on it. When you get a chance could you please check among the used dish towels'

At that point the door opened, and the Commissioner walked in.

'Good afternoon team' he said, walking confidently across the room in his brown uniform, which he had been wearing constantly for the last two days.

'Good afternoon Commissioner' the team stood up straight'

'Hello Uncle Selly' smiled Ruby.

'Inspector, how is the murder investigation going?' the Commissioner demanded.

'Well, all but one of the suspects have now been interviewed and we are making good progress with confirming alibis and narrowing them down' Jack assured him.

'I am glad to hear it' said the Commissioner. 'But the public out in the school have become aware that more people are now being questioned in relation to the murder and are also aware that the original key suspect is no longer under lock and key. In a situation like this one that is not a good situation for us to be in'

'No , I understand' Jack tried not to sound intimidated.

'There is a good possibility the storm will pass overnight, and we will get out of here tomorrow. It would be desirable for the killer to be identified and arrested while he or she is still detained in here and does not have the opportunity to escape the island. I hope you will therefore expediate your investigation'

'I'll do my best, Sir' Jack agreed.

'Good day team' the Commissioner left, and they all relaxed somewhat.

'No pressure then' smiled Nikki.

'No pressure at all!' Jack relaxed a little more 'OK, our priority now is to locate Edward Phillips and bring him in for questioning. I would suggest we break into search teams and each search an area of the school since he is not responding to calls over the tannoy. Now, who is certain they would recognise him?'

'I'm sure I would' said Ruby. 'I remember looking at his face and wondering how he knew what toilet water tasted like, remember?'

'I have a vague recollection of what he looked like but with so many people I could easily get it wrong, like when I thought I saw him in the canteen this morning' admitted J P.

'I remember him well from the plane' said Nikki.

'I've never seen him, I'm afraid' said Florence.

'In that case I suggest you two work together as usual' Jack indicated J P and Ruby. Could you please search the gym, the corridors on that side of the school and the canteen, and check those dirty towels while you're there'. The two officers nodded.

'Florence, Nikki, you will come to the hall with me. You two can search the back end nearest the stage and I will check the front half. After that we can have a walk along the corridors. OK team, let's get to it!'

J P and Ruby made their way through the man made 'corridors' between rows of mats in the gym, J P scanning the faces of the people on their left and Ruby on their right.

'There are only children here and adults, probably their parents, nowhere near old enough to be Edward Phillips' stated J P.

'There is a group of older people over this side' said Ruby. 'Probably a gathering of grandparents but I will have a look anyway' she walked away, and J P looked at the remaining people more closely.

'Can we help you?' a French gentleman of around sixty-five asked Ruby as she walked past their group.

'I am looking for a man, a little younger than you, British, slim, average height, mousy brown hair, thick moustache and rather a grumpy temperament. You haven't seen anyone fitting that description, have you?'

'No, sorry. Everyone we've met in here is friendly and there are very few people our age' the man assured her. 'We would definitely remember encountering someone like that, I'm sure!'

'OK, but please let us know if you see him. Merci Monsieur'

Having had no luck in the gym at all, the two officers then scanned the corridor outside.

'That's not him is it?' said Ruby, spotting a mousy haired older gentleman turn into the corridor.

'I am sure he was slimmer than that' said J P.

'Perhaps you're right, but I'll just make sure. Excuse me, Sir' she approached the man and he obligingly waited for her. Ruby was hopeful but as she got closer to him, she realised he was definitely not her man. 'Um…my apologies, I thought you were someone I am looking for, but you are not, sorry' and the man continued on his way.

'Ha ha, so you can get it wrong too!' teased J P, who had himself been teased by Ruby when he had spotted the wrong man in the canteen earlier.

Just then there was a slight tremor and J P grabbed Ruby's shoulder.

'Ouch! At least I can do my job in all weathers!' Ruby retaliated.

'Hey, I can too, as you can see!' and the pair bantered as they made their way down to the canteen.

Over in the hall, Jack was making much slower progress between more densely packed rows of mats. Several people wondered who he was and what he was doing so he asked a few people if they had seen anyone matching Edward Phillips description, but nobody could be certain they had seen him. Nikki and Florence were scanning the rear of the hall, but progress was slow as every time Florence spotted a man who roughly fitted Edward's description, she had to ask Nikki if it could be him. After half an hour a local woman told them 'Yes, I know the man you mean, never happy with anything. He has been sleeping on the bench over there, but he has not been here all day'. They asked a few other people in the area if they had seen him that day, but they gave the same answer. The two women finished scanning the rest of their area before summoning Jack to give him the information they had obtained.

'Well, that's useful information at least' Jack acknowledged. 'If J P and Ruby have not been successful in finding him this afternoon, we can try coming back in the evening to see if he returns to his bench'

'Here's J P' said Florence, noticing him entering the hall and approaching them.

'I hope this means they've caught our elusive Mr Phillips' said Jack hopefully.

'He does look as if he has news to break' added Nikki.

'J P. How did you get on?' Jack greeted him on approach.

'We didn't find our suspect I'm afraid' he sighed. Jack, Nikki and Florence were noticeably disappointed. 'But there's something in the kitchen you need to see, Sir'

The four of them set off, three of them wondering what breakthrough had been made in the kitchen.

In a well-hidden area at the back of the canteen kitchen there was what appeared to be a bare wall with a basket of towels in front of it. Ruby was just putting a pile of damp towels back into it.

'No towels with blood on them' Ruby informed the others 'but look at this!' she moved the basket away to reveal a small door with buttons beside it. J P pushed the green button in the middle and the door opened, revealing a tall cage and a similar door at the back. The cage could be used either to leave food, or even larger items for someone to collect from the back door, or to transport them up to the floor above. Jack looked into the cage and sniffed.

'There is a strong smell of detergent here' he confirmed.

'And it looks like someone has been scrubbing it hard' said Florence, noticing that the metal was scratched unevenly.

'It's a pity we don't have a UV torch. We would have been able to tell if there had been blood here' sighed Nikki. She looked carefully at the edge of the cage and spotted a tissue that had gotten lodged between the cage and its wall. She asked for an evidence bag for this. She then looked up at the top of the cage and spotted something metallic wedged between the top of the cage and the wall.

'Can someone get me something long and narrow?' she asked. Ruby went over to a kitchen drawer and looked through its contents.

'Will this do?' she asked, handing over a long-handled serving spoon.

'I think so' Nikki put the long handle into the gap and prized out what turned out to be a greasy fork.

'I wonder how that got there?' wondered Florence.

'Let's see what we can find out' Nikki encouraged. 'Can I have another evidence bag please?'

'Tell me, what is directly above us here – where would something sent up in this lift come out?' asked Jack.

'The wall opposite the staff room' said J P. 'The teachers get to place orders from the canteen, and they are sent up to them'

'And what is at the other side of this back door?' Jack continued.

'The art corridor!' gasped Ruby.

The team quickly made their way to the crime scene, which the new duty soldier admitted them to.

'Do we have a picture on one of our phones that shows the mannequin stand in the position it is currently in?' Jack checked before proceeding with moving it.

'Yes, several' J P confirmed.

'OK let's move these mannequins' Jack ordered. He and J P lifted the heaviest one down while Nikki helped Ruby with a lighter one. Florence lifted off the information signs around them. Sure enough, sitting just above the small dais the mannequins had been displayed on, was the back door of the food lift. Florence opened the door.

'I think we have probably discovered how the body appeared on the mannequin stand' declared Jack. 'Right, I want the towels and anything else in the kitchen that could have been used checked again for traces of the detergent smell and anything that has it analysed for DNA and fingerprints. Also the mannequins as they must have been moved by the killer to get the body out of the cage'

J P and Ruby went back to the kitchen to carry out the new instructions. Nikki walked to the display table, and after testing it for stability, stood up on it in the position she had determined the body must have been dropped from.

'So it looks like our killer would have been standing around here' she demonstrated. She looked down at the entrance to the lift. 'And the cuts and grazes on the victim's knees could have been caused by the killer dragging him over this metal edge'. She took a swab and wiped the entire length of the metal edge. Sure enough, she found what could be a piece of fabric belonging to the victim's jeans, and a small trace of skin.

At the same time Jack and Florence studied the mannequins. 'There is no smell on either of these ones' Florence informed Jack, making her way over to join him at the other side of the display table.

'There is nothing on this big one either' said Jack. 'But I think there's a hint of something on this one on the floor. What do you think, Florence?'

'I think I smell a bit of detergent' she agreed after sniffing for a few minutes, 'but it is not as strong as in the lift cage'

'Right, let's bag these clothes the mannequin is wearing. Sorry to do this to you, girl' he looked up into the blank doll's face before removing her skirt. 'Nikki, could you analyse this for us too, please?'

'Sure' Nikki scanned the back cage door for any further clues before moving on to the science classroom to analyse what had been found so far. 'If there's anything else to scan please have it brought up' she said, and Jack nodded.

The police team had joined Nikki in the science classroom, having finished their examinations of the mannequins and kitchen items. They all helped with the fingerprint search and also watched, fascinated, as Nikki examined the tissue she had found earlier and discovered a DNA strand on this.

'I can reasonably conclude that this tissue belonged to Gavin Harper' she announced.

'So, it would appear that our victim was in that cage as we suspected' stated Jack.

'I think I've found some prints on this towel' said J P. 'I'll just check the patterns we have…hmm it looks like the prints just belong to kitchen staff after all' he was disappointed.

'Never mind, keep looking' encouraged Jack. They all worked quietly for almost half an hour before the next discovery was made.

'There is a print on this skirt we took from the middle mannequin' said Florence. 'And it does not belong to anyone we have prints for'

'Well, there are bound to be prints from the school staff and pupils who set up the display' said Jack. 'But hold onto it for now anyway'.

'I've found a DNA trace on the swab I took of the cage entrance' Nikki advised, and after comparing it to the held patterns she confirmed 'Yes, it's Gavin's skin'

'So, he was definitely held in that cage then?' gasped Ruby. 'The killer must have crammed him in tightly!'

'It is rather a tall cage so he and the killer could almost have stood up in it!' J P reminded her.

'The fork!' Nikki took the fork she had found at the top of the cage and examined that next. Gavin's prints were found on the bottom of the handle as well as those of an unidentified individual.

'Well, this is getting interesting' said Jack. It would appear that Gavin must have reached up for that fork. Was it the handle that was sticking out when you found it, Nikki?'

'Yes, it was' she confirmed.

'So did Gavin reach for the fork and get stabbed in the process?' asked J P.

'The evidence we have found so far would be consistent with that' confirmed Nikki.

'So why on earth was he in the kitchen when he was a refugee, never mind in that cage!' Jack paced up and down the room contemplating the puzzle.

'Sir, it's nearly eight. Shall we go and see if Edward Phillips has returned to his spot in the hall?' Ruby asked Jack.

'Yes' he agreed. 'We should stop for a hot chocolate now, if they still have any, and possibly call it a night. You can check in the hall on the way to the canteen'

Just as the five of them arrived in the foyer and Ruby and J P were about to go into the hall, there was a cry from the Janitor's office;

'Police, there's Edward Phillips!' they turned around and saw a young woman who J P and Ruby immediately recognised as Polly Jackson. She pointed at the man they were looking for, who was running for the front door.

'Traitors!' he shouted back at Polly and the Janitor.

'Hey, come back' yelled the Janitor.

'I order you to stop!' Jack shouted at Edward as he used the key he had pinched from the Janitor's office to unlock the school door and open it. A very strong gust of wind blew into the hall and a few other people who were passing the area screamed and ran away. J P, Ruby and Florence began to redirect people who were approaching the area from the two corridors and the hall. Edward ran outside and, despite him being very fit for his age, he was immediately blown into the side of the police jeep that was parked outside. Not deterred, he held on to the side of the jeep and worked his way round to the other side, before setting off running again. Jack stood holding onto the school door and called once again.

'You'll not get very far in this weather, Edward Phillips. It's not safe out there. I suggest you surrender yourself and come back here now!'

'Never. I aint spendin' another night in this God-forsake place with all them people an' I sure as hell aint speakin' to you!' Edward turned around briefly.

'Why? What have you got to hide?'

'Nothin'! I aint done nothin'!' he screamed, straining his vocal cords to compete with the strong wind.

'Then why are you running? Come and give us your fingerprints and DNA and prove you are innocent!'

'Yeah right! You want me to be guilty so you'll twist things to make it look like I am! I aint fallin' for that, pig! I'm off to find my own space!' He began running again. Jack was about to give up and close the school door before further lives were put at risk through objects getting blow about inside the building, but before he could do so Nikki ran past him.

'Nikki! What are you doing?! Come back!' Jack shouted.

'Trust me!' she replied, continuing to run after Edward. She caught up with him barely ten metres from the jeep as another gust of wind almost blew him to his feet. 'Wait!' she called out to him, but he struggled to stand up and made to start running again.

'I told you, I aint speakin' to no pigs!'

'I'm not police, I'm a pathologist'

'Same difference, you work for 'em'

'That's true, but I work with facts, not for corrupt superiors who want arrests made just to make their force look good! And believe me, Inspector Mooney is not one of those corrupt superiors!'

'And why should I listen to you?'

'Well, you don't have to, but I think it's your best option. If you run away where will you go? The hotels are all closed, and you won't find any secure shelter from this storm! You won't survive the night!'

Edward groaned in frustration as he realised Nikki was right. The next gust of wind took him by surprise and knocked him over. Nikki took his arm and indicated to Jack to come and help her to get him back to his feet and escort him back into the school. The rest of the police team, Polly and the Janitor, and several other onlookers cheered as they brought him in. J P looked at Jack for an indication as to whether or not he should handcuff Edward, but Jack indicated not. He was now co-operating, so they took him up to the staff room without any further incident.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 – Fresh Evidence and Puzzles

The team had to strive hard to stay alert to interview Edward now that he had been caught.

'Open you mouth, please' Nikki instructed him, holding up a cotton bud.

'I aint havin' you playin' around in my mouth!' Edward protested.

'Are you going to co-operate with Dr Alexander or am I going to have to assume you are guilty and lock you in the Head Teacher's Office for the rest of your time here, then transfer you to a cell at the station?' Jack sternly gave him the choice and he reluctantly yielded. Nikki bottled the cotton bud, then took Edward's fingerprints. This time he co-operated despite the fact he did not like having his fingers covered in ink. He was given a baby wipe to clean them. J P and Ruby were given the samples to take back to the lab to begin processing while Jack, Florence and Nikki remained in the staff room to interview Edward.

'Now, Mr Phillips' Jack began the interview. 'You are obviously aware that a murder has been committed and that the victim is the young man who stood up to you on the night you arrived at your hotel, when you were giving the waitress a hard time. Needless to say that gives you a motive to murder him since from your point of view you were humiliated by him in front of the whole restaurant'

'I told you, I don't know anything about the murder! Just because I had a few words with 'im doesn't mean I'd kill 'im'

'Well, if that's the case then why did you run from us?' asked Florence. 'And why did you not come to the staff room this morning when we called for you over the tannoy?'

'I didn't hear no tannoy, took me hearin' aid out last night so I could sleep without hearin' all the noise from all them people around me'

'So why did you run then?' Nikki repeated the other part of Florence's question.

'Cos you'd decided I was guilty. Didn't see the point in tryin' to defend meself'

'Why did you think that? Every suspect is innocent until proven guilty' Jack insisted.

'That's not what I 'eard!'

'What did you hear? Asked Florence.

'That the whole hall thought I was the murderer. That I was goin' down. That they was all lookin' for me'

'Who told you that?' asked Jack.

'That waitress from the 'otel. Said she was gonna go to you lot and tell you where I was. The janitor man said I could 'ide in 'is office an' I was there for hours. But he got a signal from the waitress that you lot was comin' an' the next thing I knew you was chasin me! They was workin' for you!'

'Well I can't say I'm surprised considering you were rude to the waitress!' Nikki pointed out.

'Hmph!'

'Anyway' Jack got back to the point. 'A witness told us they saw you in the art corridor on the night of the murder. Is that correct?'

'I dunno, maybe. I don' know this school or what corridor's what!'

'Were you, or were you not, in the corridor where the murder took place, on the night it happened?!' Jack made it clear what corridor he was talking about.

'Yeah, I think I was come to think of it. I'd got lost tryin' to find the hall again. I think the sign was wrong an' I ended up in that corridor just before the screamin' began an' I saw the young lad's body fallin' into that Irish guy's hands'

'So what time did you arrive at the school that night' asked Florence.

'I dunno, didn't keep track of time, really'.

Jack sighed. 'Were you on the first or the second bus from your hotel. You're staying at the Honore Palace, aren't you?'

'I was on the last one. Not in any 'urry to come 'ere, was I'

'So, can you please talk us through what you did between the time you arrived and the moment you saw Gavin Harper's body fall into Adam Williams' hands'

'Came in an' saw the long queue for a place in the hall. It was too long, so I decided to come back later. Went to the canteen to get food instead. Bloody awful soup they was servin!'

'Yes, I remember talking to you in the canteen when you were being extremely rude to Mayor Bordey' confirmed Jack. 'I can vouch for you myself up until that point as you obviously had to wait in the queue to get served. But can you tell me where you went after you left the canteen?'

'Um…needed a pee. Went to find the mens room an' had to queue again for fifteen minutes or so. When I came out of there, I followed the wrong sign to get back to the 'all an' ended up in that corridor where the man was murdered. I'd just got there when it 'appened'

At that point there was a knock at the door.

'Come in' shouted Jack, and Ruby half opened the door.

'Inspector Mooney, could I talk to you for a minute please?'

'Sure. Excuse me for a minute' He got up and walked outside, closing the door behind him. 'What is it Ruby?'

'The results of the fingerprint analysis. I thought you'd like to see this while you still have Edward Phillips in' she showed him a list she and J P had compiled of their comparisons to the prints found on each item of evidence.

'Thank you Ruby, that's possibly a big breakthrough' he dismissed her and returned to the staff room.

'Mr Phillips' Jack remained standing and looked Edward hard in the face. 'Can you please explain why your fingerprints have been found on a fork that was used to lure Gavin Harper into the food lift at the back of the kitchen?!'

'What?!' gasped Edward, incredulously. 'I don't know what you're talkin' about! I wasn't in no kitchen! An' I haven't used no fork since I got here! I used a plastic spoon for me soup!'

'Well according to the forensic evidence you handled the fork that was used as bait by our killer. That doesn't look good for you' Nikki pointed out.

'So, I'm asking you again' shouted Jack. 'Where were you between the time you arrived at the school and the time you insulted Mayor Bordey at the canteen counter, and between then and the time of the murder?'

'I told you, I was in the queue for food, then the gents!'

'And can anyone confirm that?' asked Florence.

'I was on me own. There's only that old man, the one that was talkin' about how they were lucky to get food during evacuations in his day or somethin'. He might remember I was in front of 'im'

'OK we will try to find this man and speak to him' agreed Jack. 'But for the time being I have to hold you in custody on suspicion of murder. You will spend tonight in the Head Teacher's office'

'Well at least I'll get peace!' Edward seemed to care more about this than the implications of the situation he was in. They all stood up and Jack handcuffed Edward. He and Florence escorted him to the Head Teacher's office.

After their lunch, the Manchester group had remained in the Head Teacher's office for the rest of the day. The stress of the morning had caught up with Jenny and she was having a lie down on Karen's mat following their supper, which consisted of rations similar to their lunch, that Karen and Pete had fetched from the canteen. The others had found a new game to play.

'I went on a Caribbean holiday' began Adam, and I took with me…a pair of sunglasses' He smiled at Karen who was sitting beside him.

'I went on a Caribbean holiday and I took with me…' Karen thought for a few seconds 'A pair of sunglasses and sun lotion'

David went next. 'I went on a Caribbean holiday and I took with me a pair of sunglasses, sun lotion and my passport'

Pete was ready to make it more unique to their situation. 'I went on a Caribbean holiday and I took with me a pair of sunglasses, sun lotion, passport and an orthopaedic bed in case there's a storm and I have to sleep in a bloody school hall!' he ranted out.

'Good luck with getting that in your case!' laughed Adam. 'But anyway…I went on a Caribbean holiday and I took with me a pair of sunglasses, sun lotion, my passport, an orthopaedic bed in case there's a storm and I have to sleep in a bloody school hall, and a list of names of people staying in my hotel in case I'm accused of murder need an alibi confirmed!'

'Really Adam?' Karen punched him playfully.

'Well, it would have been more useful than sun lotion on this holiday!'

'I suppose so' she thought. 'Well, I went on a Caribbean holiday and I took with me a pair of sunglasses, sun lotion, my passport, an orthopaedic bed in case there's a storm and I have to sleep in a bloody school hall, a list of names of people staying in my hotel in case I'm accused of murder and need an alibi confirmed…and glasses for the eyes on the back of my head so that I can see if someone is spying on me during conversations with my friends!'

'Nice one!' said Pete. 'What have you got for us David?'

'Goodness, how can I better that?' David thought for a moment. 'I know. I went on a Caribbean holiday and I took with me a pair of sun glasses, sun lotion, my passport, an orthopaedic bed, blah blah blah, a list of people staying in my hotel, blah blah blah, glasses for eyes on the back of my head…and a certified copy of my now clean criminal record in case it is called into question!'

'That's the stuff David' giggled Adam.

'OK What now?' thought Pete. 'Alright. I went on a Caribbean holiday and I took with me a pair of sunglasses, sun lotion, passport, an orthopaedic bed, a list of people staying at my hotel…oh gosh what was it again?'

'Glasses for the back of your head' whispered Jenny from the mat behind him.

'Oh, that's right…glasses for the eyes on the back of my head…'

'Hey, that's cheating! She told you!' complained Adam.

'Sustained' agreed David.

'OK I declare David the winner' announced Karen and they all clapped. At that moment the door opened, and they all felt on edge again. Jenny slowly sat up. Jack appeared and announced to the group;

'Alright, ladies and gentlemen. There has been a breakthrough in our murder investigation, and although you are all still suspects for the time being, none of you are our prime suspect. Could you all please return to the main hall now as we need this room to hold another suspect'

The group breathed a collective sigh of relief. Pete and Karen helped Jenny to her feet while David gathered up Karen's mat and blanket. The four of them quickly left the room, but Adam held back.

'I'm not sure I'm ready to leave' he told Jack. 'Everyone was convinced I was the killer and until you actually convict somebody, I am sure they will still think I am guilty and treat me accordingly!'

'Fine' said Jack. 'You can stay here, but you will have to share your space with this man' he stepped back out of the room and helped Florence to escort Edward in. Adam took one look at who was being brought in and quickly picked up his mat.

'Actually, on second thoughts I think I'll be fine' he stated and hurried out to catch up with his friends.

Back in the staff room, the easel had been brought out again and Florence was writing in notes from their interviews with the suspects. J P and Ruby had returned from the science classroom and were handwriting final reports as to whose fingerprints were found on each item of evidence. Jack was pacing the room, acting out how he thought the murder had been committed, trying to figure out how Edward could have enticed Gavin to enter the kitchen and how they could have got into the back of it without anyone seeing them. Anyone who had come forward to date, that was. After some time, Nikki joined them.

'Nothing else significant found in my analysis of Edward Phillips' DNA' she informed them regretfully. 'There is a trace on the fork, as would be expected, but nothing on any other item. Nothing on the victim's body either'

'OK no worries, thank you for your hard work, Nikki' Jack acknowledged.

The team stood and looked at the board together, hoping that five heads was better than one.

'So, Tiffany Smith could have killed Gavin to get out of marrying someone without lots of money. But she was seen in the ladies' bathroom just before the time of the murder and none of her DNA found on anything' J P started at the beginning.

'Correct' confirmed Florence. 'Pete Gifford was in the queue and then the hall with his new acquaintances Brian and Tania Ormsby from the time he arrived, so he is fully accounted for. No DNA finds to question that'

'Indeed. I think we can cross him out' agreed Jack and Ruby put a large 'X' through his details.

'Adam Williams was seen holding the victim's body' began Nikki. 'His DNA was found on the body, which is what we would expect, but not on anything else, even the murder weapon that was found in his rucksack. He also has the same alibi as Pete Gifford up until a few minutes before the murder'

'Again, probably too small an opportunity for him to have lured the victim into the food cage, stabbed him and then got him up onto the mannequin display, if we have worked it all out correctly' said Jack.

'Karen Marsden and Jenny Gifford claim to have been in the canteen queue together at the time of the murder' read Florence. 'We have not been able to get this confirmed for sure, but they were seen carrying cups containing hot drinks from that direction'

'Again, no DNA finds' said Nikki.

'And Jenny has been receiving treatment for cancer so couldn't possibly have had the energy to move a body, even with help. I doubt Karen could have done it on her own either' Jack concluded. 'So, who does that leave?'

'David Marsden' said Ruby. 'He disappeared by himself on a walk around the school shortly after arriving so is the one with the biggest margin of opportunity so far'

'True' said Jack. 'And his alibi confirmation from the nurse and patients in the medical room is not conclusive. But again, no DNA findings'

'Which just leaves Edward Phillips' said J P.

'He behaved suspiciously by not coming when we called him this morning and by running away when we caught up with him' said Florence.

'And his DNA has been found on the fork we believe was in the lift shaft to bait our victim' added Nikki. 'But again, nothing on the body or any other item of evidence that can prove his guilt beyond doubt'

'And on top of that, I saw him in the canteen myself a short time before the murder, so his opportunity was quite limited' continued Jack.

'What do we do now?' asked Ruby.

'I suppose there is very little we can do until we can get back to the station and do the proper background checks' sighed Jack. 'The Commissioner will not be very happy, but I don't see what else we can do here without access to our systems. There could be a completely different motive that we don't know about. We really need to establish the victim's background'

'Could it also be possible that all our suspects, or a group of them, were working together?' suggested Nikki. 'I was thinking that could explain, for example, why Adam Williams had the weapon despite having a strong alibi while we have not found any evidence against David Marsden, who had a relatively wide margin of opportunity'

'Yes, that's a possibility' agreed Jack. 'The group of five friends would be our most likely team if that was the case. It would be harder to establish whether or not Tiffany or even Edward was involved'

'Just suppose they were all involved' said Florence. 'It would have taken someone to lure the victim to the cage door, get him inside and stab him. Only David, Karen, Jenny or Edward would have had time to do that after their arrival at the school'

'Hmm…just say David went to find a suitable place to carry out the murder while he was roaming the corridors, one of the ladies waited in the queue for drinks while the other took advantage of the volunteers not knowing who was who, and getting into the kitchen to procure the knife' Ruby surmised.

'Smart theory there, Ruby!' Jack complimented her.

'David and the knife holder could then have met up and either one of them or possibly even Edward could have lured the victim to the cage to retrieve the fork before stabbing him. Then someone would have had to get him onto the mannequin stand without anyone seeing and wait for Adam…who could have arranged to be there to catch the body and take the knife, knowing we would not find his prints on it!' Ruby continued.

'Wow, you could just have figured the whole thing out!' gasped J P.

'Down to the fine detail!' added Florence.

'Fine detail!' gasped Jack.

'What is it?' asked Nikki.

'Fine detail. That's a great theory Ruby but there are a few fine details we have not looked at which... Of course!'

'You've worked it out, Sir?' asked J P.

'Well, part of it anyway. Sorry, I know it's very late, but we need to revisit the analysis of the evidence. Can everyone manage another hour or two?'

'Why not? We're not going to get any more sleep in the gym that we have the last two nights!' agreed Ruby, and J P nodded his agreement.

'Same with my hall spot' said Nikki.

'I can handle long hours' said Florence.

'Here's to the beginning of the end of our ordeal!' Pete raised his watered-down cup of hot chocolate to toast the release of the whole group from the Head Teacher's office and the announcement that they were no longer prime suspects. They all sat round a table in the canteen with the Ormsbys.

'Thank you again for keeping our spaces in the hall' Karen addressed Brian and Tania. 'It would have been a nightmare to try and find another space now!'

'It was nothing and we knew you'd be back!' said Brian. 'I can read people's characters well and I don't get why they would think any of you could have been involved in a murder!'

'Well, they seemed determined because of our acquaintance with the victim and the bits of our conversations that were overheard' David informed him.

'That all sounds fishy to me' said Tania.

'That's what we all think' said Adam.

'We knew it was going to turn out to be that nasty piece of work. Thankfully they have him now' said Jenny.

'Yes, he must have been sitting in the bar where we couldn't see him, taking notes to use against us, the creep!' cringed Pete.

'Everyone in the hall has been talking about that man running out of the school and getting caught and brought back in by the police' said Brian. 'They all believe it was him now. The idea it was you, Adam, is history'

'Thank God for that. I was dreading coming down' Adam began to relax.

'Well, here's to this hopefully being our last night in here!' Karen raised her cup again and they all drank to that. Even Daisy, who had been bored sitting with the grown-ups, smiled and raised her cup at that thought.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16 – Countdown to Freedom

'Do you hear that?' Karen whispered to Adam as he awoke from an all-to-brief sleep.

'Hear what?' he strained but couldn't work out what she was referring to. 'I don't hear anything!'

'Exactly! And there are no more tremors either. The storm has passed!'

'Are you sure it's not going to start again?'

'I don't think so. Look, the sun is shining through the curtains. That hasn't happened any other day in here so far!'

'Well, blow me down…or preferably not!' he excitedly put his arm round her and gave her a kiss.

The Commissioner entered the staff room at eight o'clock to find it empty. He went on to the canteen to see if the police team were there, and after discovering they were not had been informed by Catherine that their last known location was the science classroom. He opened the door at twenty past eight and was surprised to see them all slumped and bedraggled. They all woke up and sat up straight at the sound of the door and attempted to straighten out clothing and hair when they saw who had entered. The team had worked into the early hours of the morning and had ended up putting their heads down on the desks once they could do no more as they were too tired to make their way back to the hall, gym or medical room.

'Good morning team. I take it you have been putting everything into solving this murder case?' he began, looking round at them all.

'We certainly have' confirmed Jack, feeling embarrassed. 'There is just one piece of the puzzle left to solve but it could be a long shot to solve it today if we are getting out of here'

'I am a little disappointed, I must admit' said the Commissioner, 'but I am sure you will not rest until you have found this final piece, Inspector?'

'No, indeed Sir!' The others, who the inspector could not see, gave each other despairing looks as they were so tired.

'Now, Inspector, the whole hall is impatiently waiting for today's weather update, in fact they are chanting for you to give it and have been doing so for half an hour. Can I disturb you from your rest now to give it before there is a riot?'

'S-sure. Florence, are you ready?'

'Yes, Inspector' she stretched her sore back and neck and left the room with Jack.

The whole school had now woken up and everyone was excitedly looking out the windows at the bright sunshine. In the gym children were jumping up and down and asking if they could go to the beach later on. In the hall people were talking about the food, drink, showers and sleep they were going to have and more and more were joining in the chant of 'Mooney, Mooney, Mooney!' as they waited for Jack to come on the tannoy. When the tannoy finally crackled on, the shouting was so loud that only those close to the speakers heard it. Some of those people began turning the volume knobs up so that it was heard by the entire hall. There were anticipatory cheers as Jack's voice began.

'Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Well, I'm delighted to say I have good news this morning. The storm has finally passed, and it is now safe to leave the school…'

'Hurray!' massive cheering erupted throughout the building and people danced and hugged each other. They began to gather their belongings together.

'But could all visitors please remain where you are until the buses for your hotels are called. They will come to the door one at a time…'

'Awww!' The mood dampened a little as the instant mad rush out was thwarted.

'Residents who live within one mile may leave and make their way home by foot, however we would recommend waiting until the army have been out in the town to see what damage, if any, has been done. Those who were permitted to bring cars to the school car park are advised not to drive away until the roads have been checked for debris. Further announcements will be made as and when this information becomes available and the buses are mobilised…'

'I hope our hotel's still standing!' gasped Jenny. 'I don't think I could take any more days and nights living like this!'

'Oh no, I left my gold watch in my room!' remembered David.

Similar panics arose among the tourists, while residents began to worry about their homes and any relatives who were not in the school with them.

'…For now, the canteen remains open and is serving basic drinks and rations for breakfast. Thank you for your attention and for your patience in these matters. Inspector Mooney out'

'Merci de votre attention et patience' Florence completed the French translation and the tannoy was switched off.

An hour later, the populous in the school had calmed down somewhat and had resumed their conversations, reading, games and other activities while they waited for the next announcement. The police team were sitting in the canteen drinking weak, lukewarm tea, having exhausted all the leads they could work with on the murder case. Nikki was telling them about her workplace in London.

'It's called the Thomas Lyell Centre' she said. 'We used to be part of a university before pathology services were privatised. We now have our own office in a side street'

'How big a team of pathologists work there?' asked Florence.

'There are just two pathologists, myself and Thomas who is the head of the centre. We also have two forensic scientists, Jack and Clarissa. Our Jack is Irish too, by the way' she said, looking at Jack. 'from Belfast'

'Aha, you can't get away from us Irish Jacks!' he laughed. 'There are plenty of us on both sides of the border!'

'How many post-mortems do you do every day?' asked Ruby, and J P shook his head at this question.

'It varies. Anything from three to six although it can be more if, for example, there has been a major incident'

'And is this other Irish Jack good looking or is he as old as our one?' Ruby got more head shakes when she asked this question.

'Hey!' Jack feigned offence.

'I would say so, as would his many admirers!'

'Mmm, hmm!' they all laughed.

'But I'm not interested in him in that way' she quickly added. 'We keep things strictly professional and besides, he's into boxing which I am not keen on, and I have a boyfriend'

'Boxing is very popular in Ireland' Jack informed them. 'Hard to avoid enthusiasts. My brother used to do it as a teenager and a few of my nephews and one niece do it now'

'It's not something I've ever fancied trying' said J P.

'Softie!' teased Ruby.

'Is it a popular sport for girls?' Nikki asked him incredulously.

'It is these days. They encourage diversity'

'And so they should!' stated Ruby and Florence high-fived her.

'Inspector, Detective Sergeant!' the Commissioner approached their table. 'Time for the next announcement if you please!'

'Excuse us' said Jack as he and Florence left them once again.

The Manchester group had returned to the hall after their own all-too-familiar breakfast of rations and sat down on their mats again.

'I hope we don't have too much longer to wait' groaned Pete.

'The island is very small' Karen assured him. 'It shouldn't take them too long to do the damage assessment, surely?'

At that point the tannoy crackled and this time everyone heard it clearly.

'Ladies and gentlemen' began Jack 'I am pleased to inform you that the storm did not inflict the extent of damage that was feared. The only casualties were the three beach huts on the west beach which were not prepared for the storm as they are not currently occupied. All homes, hotels and other accommodations are unaffected and ready for you to return to…'

There was loud applause at this.

'…Those who brough their own vehicles are now free to leave, but please be aware that there are numerous stray signs, bins, roof slates and other similar debris on the road. Volunteers are welcome to help clear these items…'

'I don't think I have the energy for that!' Adam lay back on his mat.

'What's your excuse?' Jenny joked, also putting her head down for a few minutes as she had need.

'The first of the buses should be outside the door within the next half hour. Tourists returning to hotels should wait for these. That will be all for now'

'Well, that's our cue to go' said Brian Ormsby to the group. 'We drove over from our villa in our hire car. We'll be going now, but it has been lovely to meet you all and playing games with you made our time here more bearable'

'Thank you for all you did for us' said Pete and gave Brian a man-hug.

'We'll probably get ourselves freshened up and catch up on some sleep today and tonight' said Tania. 'But perhaps tomorrow evening we will set up the barbecue at the back of the villa. You are all very welcome to come over'

'That would be lovely' said Karen.

'Look forward to it' said Adam.

'Great, well, we'll see you then' continued Brian. 'In the meantime, thank you for your company and I hope you don't have to wait too much longer to get out of here'

'We hope so too!' said David.

'It was nice to meet you too, Daisy' said Jenny. 'I hope you haven't been too bored with us?'

Daisy smiled and didn't say anything.

'She's quite shy' said Tania. 'But _talks_ a lot on social media!'

'Don't they all?!' Jenny agreed.

'Well have a good rest and we'll see you tomorrow' said Pete. They all hugged and the Ormsby's left. Once out in the car park, Brian and Tania loaded up the car with their belongings while Daisy took out her phone, plugged in the charger and finally had the opportunity to have another look at the photos she had taken of her holiday up until the day of the evacuation.

'Mum?' Daisy called to Tania as she went to get in the passenger door.

'What is it, love?' she asked her daughter.

'Look at this photo I took the night we arrived at the school. Isn't that…?'

Tania looked at the photo and gasped. 'We need to show this to the police' she said, taking the phone from Daisy.

'What is it?' asked Brian

'Look' Tania showed him the picture and he also gasped.

'Mum, my phone!' complained Daisy.

'Sorry Daisy, I know it's hard for you to be without your phone' said Brian. 'But this is very important, and your mum is right, we need to show it to the police straight away' and they went back into the school to seek the police team.

Over the next hour buses began to be announced and the school gradually emptied. There were now less than one hundred people left and they all occupied the tables and chairs in the canteen. A team of volunteers had begun to clean the hall and gym. The Manchester group were among those remaining, and Jenny suddenly noticed Tiffany sitting on the ground in a corner and wondered whether she should go and speak to her or leave her alone as she seemed to want the day before. Her thoughts were interrupted by Adam;

'What's taking them so long? It's been ages since the last bus was announced!'

'Perhaps all the buses are out taking people to other hotels and they are waiting for one to come back?' suggested Karen.

'Something's going on!' Pete looked round and drew their attention to J P who had come in to speak to Catherine. He handed her what looked like a box of food provisions. The group could not hear their conversation, but it was obvious it was of a serious nature. It lasted around fifteen minutes after which J P left and Catherine started preparing sandwiches with the items that had been delivered to her.

'Are they keeping us here until after lunch time? Why?' asked David.

Another half hour went by before there was another announcement. It was now a quarter to noon.

'Good morning ladies and gentlemen. We apologise for the delay but the bus for the Honore Palace is now waiting at the front door…'

'Hurray!' the remaining refugees finally got up to leave.

'…However, could Tiffany Smith, Adam Williams, Karen Marsden, David Marsden, Jenny Gifford and Pete Gifford please remain and report to the staff room immediately. Thank you'

'What? No way?! What now!' the groups' patience was running thin.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Revelations

Jack entered the staff room with the Commissioner who was anxious to hear what was about to happen. Nikki and Florence followed behind carrying evidence bags. Inside the room, Adam and Karen sat at the far side of the table with Pete, Jenny and David adjacent to them at the left-hand side. Tiffany sat on her own at the right, not looking at any of the others. Jack whispered something to Florence and Nikki and they took chairs facing Adam and Karen, leaving a space for Jack to work with. Five minutes later the door opened and J P and Ruby escorted Edward in and seated him two seats away from Tiffany, before stationing themselves at either side of the door. Everyone in the room looked at Jack.

'Forgive me for keeping you, but since it is almost lunch time, I have arranged for some refreshments to be provided. They should be here shortly, at which time I will begin what I have to tell you'

Everyone looked at each other wondering what he was talking about. Finally, the door opened once again and Catherine and Polly entered carrying a tray of sandwiches and a fresh pot of tea and some paper cups between them. These were set down on the centre of the table.

'Help yourselves' said Catherine, but nobody reached for anything. Their attention was solely focused on Jack who stood to speak again.

'Alright everyone. Thank you for staying. I am pleased to be able to tell you that our investigation is now complete, and I have called you here to reveal who killed Gavin Harper'

The suspects all gasped as Jack turned to speak in a whisper to his officers. Adam whispered to Pete who sat next to him 'I would say _this should be a laugh_, if it wasn't for the fact I am still afraid he might be about to arrest one of us!' Pete nodded his agreement but didn't speak as Jack had returned to his spot. Polly went to leave as her duty appeared to be done, and Catherine stood up after her, but Jack indicated to them to remain.

'No, please stay since you both helped us'. They sat back down on chairs at the side of the room and Jack continued. 'Now, this case had us extremely perplexed despite the fact it originally appeared to be simple since Gavin's body was first found held by Adam Williams, and the murder weapon was subsequently found in Adam's backpack. However, the lack of forensic evidence resulted in us having to open up the investigation to considering everyone who had met Gavin personally. Most of these people turned out to have a motive. His fiancee Tiffany Smith was heard to have expressed unhappiness at the fact Gavin would not have an opportunity for promotion and a significant pay rise in the immediate future and could have decided to find a way of getting out of marrying him without the embarrassment of having to explain herself to their families and friends'

'No!' gasped Tiffany, reminding the others of her presence.

'Then there were those who had a reason to fear retributions from him for shady dealings with his newspaper – Karen Marsden and Jenny Gifford here caused a book review to be published in this paper with misleading information about the author which could have resulted in disastrous consequences for them if they were found out' Jenny and Karen tensed up and Pete and Adam took their hands.

'Also, Pete Gifford worked for a taxi company that overcharged staff from the same newspaper and could also have been caught by Gavin!'

'But I was in the hall queue when the murder was committed!' Pete argued.

'I know you were' acknowledged Jack. 'Then we have David Marsden, who could have been out to frame Adam Williams for murder and get him out of the way so that he would have a chance to get back with the ex-wife he still loves' Adam and Karen looked at David, shocked, and David himself was embarrassed.

'I promise you this is not the case! As much as I still love you, Karen, and always will as a good friend, I would never hurt you, or anyone you love, by doing something like that!' David was almost in tears.

'We then caught up with Edward Phillips who initially resisted speaking to us. That was suspicious in itself, and he appeared to be the primary candidate when we later found his fingerprints on the fork that was planted in the lift cage behind the mannequin display in the art corridor, presumably to lure Gavin into it. We also know Edward had a confrontation with Gavin at their hotel earlier that evening so there was an element of hostility between them and possible resentment which gives Mr Phillips a motive'

'Pff, poppycock!' growled Edward.

'I knew it was him!' Adam whispered to his group as Jack looked round at his colleagues again.

'So…we have seven people, one of whom was found with the body, and another six with possible motives. Now, which of them was it…assuming it was one of these seven. I have recently been working with another detective who was always on my case to consider that it is not necessarily a foregone conclusion that one of the obvious supsects was guilty. In every case I have worked on with this detective to date, and I admit it has only been a small handful, it has turned out that it was one of my suspects. But this time my aforementioned colleague would have been right…wouldn't she Polly?'

'What?!' the young waitress and volunteer was shocked to the core at this revelation, and everyone else in the room sat up and looked at her in disbelief. 'Why…why on earth would you think I would kill someone?'

'I could give you fifty million reasons' Jack stated confidently.

'What do you mean?'

'You know fine well what I mean. Your father and uncle went over to England, York to be precise, and bought a printing business. Started with half a dozen staff but they grew until they had about sixty. From the outside it looked like a reputable company and a very desirable place to work. There were many opportunities for people from the Caribbean who didn't have much to go over and work for you and return home much better off. But in reality, their workers were over-worked, paid below the minimum wage and weren't given the leave they were legally entitled to or a company pension. Your father and uncle bribed local people to accept these conditions because if they didn't it would take away opportunities for others in the future. During the time this business was booming you were being sent to private school and were due to be sent away to your choice of university abroad. You lived a life of luxury thanks to the suffering of others. But your family's empire didn't last. It was only a matter of time before the press received rumours of their illegal business practices and it all came to an end after a young man went to work for them for a few days and turned out to be an undercover journalist. The story then got out and the business was seized, and your father and uncle deported back to Sainte-Marie, and were sued for fifty million pounds. Your family was reduced to virtual poverty and your own dreams of a better future shattered. And the young journalist's name was Gavin Harper. It was his first big case'

'But…how could you know that? The internet is down!'

'It was down. But it came back up at nine this morning. We did our research after we established that the person or persons who committed this murder must have known their way around the school. They also had to have access to the kitchen in order to avoid being seen with Gavin in the art corridor, as you'll understand in moment. But back to your story for now. So, when you did your _research_ on your latest intake of guests, you were shocked to find out that this same journalist was visiting your hotel. Determined to get revenge for your family's disgrace your opportunity arose when the storm hit, and Gavin was evacuated to the school. You volunteered to work in the kitchen, so it was no surprise when you took a young man who was a guest at your hotel, and who was not busy at that point in time, through to the back of the kitchen, having met him in the corridor and asked him to help you with a problem. You led him to the lift cage and asked him to retrieve the fork you had jammed between the cage and wall. When he was reaching up to retrieve it, and concentrating on his task, you took this knife…' He turned to Florence who held up the evidence bag containing the offending weapon. 'and reached up and plunged it close to Gavin's heart'

'And forensic evidence shows you are just the right height to have wielded the knife at the angle it entered the victim's body' added Nikki.

Jack continued 'And we have been informed that your plan prior to your family's ruin was to study forensics, and that you have enough knowledge through your own reading to know where to insert the knife in order to kill him. Now, once you had killed Gavin you had to get his body out of the kitchen before it was discovered. So, you moved the towel trolley in front of the cage door so that no other volunteer would be aware of its existence. Then when Gavin was dead, the body was moved to the mannequin stand'

'But wait a minute' said Jenny. 'How did this slight young woman manage to get a man's body out of that cage and onto the mannequin stand?'

'Aha, good point, and I was just coming to that' Jack assured her. 'You see, that's when Polly's part ended, and her accomplice took over'

At that point the door opened, and the janitor entered. 'Oh, you're still using this room. Could you please let me know when you are leaving?' he looked at Jack.

'Sure, but please don't go, come and join us for lunch' The janitor came further in and J P closed the door.

'Right on time' Jack went on. 'This is Henri Jackson, Polly's uncle, who I mentioned was part of the infamous family business' Everyone was shocked at this revelation.

Henri looked at Polly and saw from the look on her face that they had been caught. He turned quickly around and grabbed the door handle. J P and Ruby both tried to restrain him, but he pricked their hands with his fingernail and managed to force the door open and run out. The police followed him into the corridor, J P blocking one direction and Ruby the other. The rest of the party looked round the door to witness the action. The only option left for Henri to escape was the lift cage used in the murder. He opened the door and went to squeeze himself in, but just as he was about to climb into the cage, Ruby pulled off one of her trainers and hauled it at the button, causing the door to close and Henri to be cornered. J P confidently caught him this time and handcuffed him, escorting him back into the staff room. Everyone else sat back down.

'She's brilliant!' Pete acknowledged incredulously and his friends all agreed.

'I knew that young man was a good officer too' said Karen as J P expertly cuffed Henri to a chair.

Now that the drama was over Jack continued his story 'Clearly guilty by his actions there. Henri Jackson here, as you will be aware, is employed by the school as their janitor. He therefore has the knowledge of the school required to carry out this murder without either himself or his niece being seen. The mannequin stand in the art corridor was expertly moved by Henri in front of the door at the other side of this lift cage on the floor below. He in fact stood on the stand and successfully passed himself off as one of the mannequins while he waited for Polly to do the deed. Then when nobody was looking, he opened the door and hauled Gavin's body onto the stand to pose for a short time as another mannequin'

Henri laughed. 'And what makes you so sure of this story, Inspector?'

'It so happens we have photographic evidence' Florence showed him Daisy's phone, on which was displayed a photograph of the mannequin stand with Henri's face clearly showing. Henri had nothing further to say, knowing now that there was no escape for him.

'And that takes us to the next part of your plan' continued Jack. 'You knew that it would be difficult for us to investigate the murder under these circumstances, although, as you know everything there is to know about everyone, Polly, you would have been aware that we carry a finger print kit. So, to buy yourself time before the murder was investigated in full, by which time you and your uncle could have escape the island, you decided to frame someone by dropping the body into their hands and by planting false evidence'

'You chose to frame me? Why?!' Adam yelled to Polly. 'What did I do to you?!'

'Oh, she didn't intend to frame you' Jack assured him. 'The fork you asked Gavin to retrieve does not belong to the school' Florence handed him the next evidence bag. 'Having checked the forks used in the school canteen, we did not find any with this pattern. But if you zoom in on the photograph of the restaurant on the Honore Palace website you can just make out that these forks are used here. It is therefore likely, since Polly works there, that this fork was, in fact, brought in from the Honore Palace' Everyone gasped at this piece of evidence. 'When we brushed this fork for fingerprints, we found those of Edward Phillips as well as of our victim. You see, this is the fork Edward used in the Honore Palace earlier on the evening of the murder. Polly, I assume, chose to frame this man in revenge for his meanness towards her. Henri was supposed to drop Gavin's body to Edward, who Polly had pointed out. Before mounting the mannequin stand Henri changed the directional sign pointing back to the hall from the gents' bathroom to lure Edward into the art corridor, but the plan went wrong when other people, including Adam Williams here, also followed this sign. Henri got the wrong man, and instead of Edward we arrested Adam.

'Ruin me for a little complaint, eh?' Edward growled at Polly.

'When Polly volunteered to take breakfast up to the prisoner the following morning, she expected to see Edward, but was surprised to see Adam in the Head Teacher's office instead. But needing to get rid of the murder weapon you had to form a new plan, didn't you?' Polly looked down to her feet. 'So, you planted the weapon in Adam's backpack since you needed to get rid of it. You also didn't count on us having a pathologist available to carry out the post-mortem and analyse DNA samples, hence you believed your job was done and Adam would be our only suspect until a post-mortem could be carried out on Guadeloupe. You did your best to stop the post-mortem taking place by placing gum, which I assume was found in a school bin and was chewed by one of the pupils, in the lock of the art classroom where Gavin's body was being held, but that wasn't smart enough as the army were able to shift it. So, you then took the opportunity to lead us astray by giving us information you had gathered on Adam's friends and Tiffany Smith, twisting it in a way that would make them all look like suspects. You also had the chance to frame Edward again last night when you and you Uncle Henri lured him into the janitor's office, convincing him you were helping him escape injustice, but in fact lured him to us. A very good plan, I have to say, but you obviously forgot that none of these seven suspects knew the school well enough to carry out the murder in the time it took the pair of you, and also how would they have cleaned up when they could not have accessed the kitchen later than night, or whenever you did it, without being questioned as to why they were in there?'

'How could you do this!' screamed Tiffany suddenly. 'To Gavin, and to me and our families!' she burst into tears. Karen, who was sitting closest to her, handed her a tissue'

'Thank you' Tiffany addressed the Manchester group in a friendly manner for the first time since the morning after the murder.

'Your man ruined us!' retorted Henri. 'We were only trying to provide opportunities for our people, but your laws make it impossible!'

'You didn't have the right to exploit people, nor did you have the right to take a life!' Florence burst out. 'This young woman has lost the man she loved and was going to spend the rest of her life with…and that hurts like neither of you can imagine! Your anger at UK law did not give you the right to do this!...sorry!' she sat down when she saw Jack looking nervously at her, and Nikki took her hand. Tiffany looked at Florence with painful gratitude.

'Alright, take them away' Jack instructed J P and Ruby. J P got Henri out of the chair again and escorted him out of the room and down to the police jeep. Ruby handcuffed Polly and led her in the same direction.

The Commissioner stood up. 'Congratulations, Inspector' he said to Jack. 'I knew you would solve this before we left the school'

'Just doing my job' said Jack.

'And Dr Alexander, thank you for your excellent work. I am sure it played a huge part in the resolution of this case'

'I am glad I was able to help' Nikki smiled.

'Good work from all the team. Please let them all know I am delighted. 'Well, I'll be going now. Enjoy a couple of days rest before returning to work'

'Thank you, Commissioner' said Jack on behalf of them all.

'Good day everyone' the Commissioner looked all around the room before finally leaving.

'OK folks' said Jack. 'I will make a quick call to the local bus company to get a small coach to take you all back to your hotel. In the meantime, you are welcome to go outside the building if you wish. I arranged for refreshments to be brought in to make sure Polly was in the room but please don't let the drinks and sandwiches go to waste. Help yourselves' And with that he turned from the assembled group and began to tidy away his notes. Edward stood up.

'I'll walk back to the 'otel thank you' he said and walked out of the room, never to make any contact with any of the others again.

'Good riddance!' Adam said quietly and his friends sniggered.

'I need some fresh air' announced Tiffany and she also left the room.

'Well, I don't know about you but I'm 'ungry!' declared Pete, and he took a ham sandwich. The others followed.

'One more cup of tea before we enjoy some warm weather wouldn't be so bad either!' stated Karen and they soon all had full cups.

When Nikki and Florence had replaced all the evidence in bags and placed everything in a box, they, Catherine and Jack also helped themselves to refreshments. The conversation suddenly ceased as the Manchester group and the police felt awkward in each other's company. Catherine took the initiative and broke the silence.

'Is everything OK?' she asked the visitors.

'Yes, these are really nice sandwiches' said Jenny. 'Much better than those field rations'

'We saw you making them earlier' said David. 'You really know how to make them well'

'I'm glad. And are you a chef?' she asked David.

'Um…no but I've been helping with the running of a café recently so know a thing or two about how to make a good sandwich'

'And my taste buds agree!' said Adam.

'Do you do this for a living yourself?' asked Karen.

'No, I run a bar, but I serve food in the evenings' she informed them.

'And she is also the Mayor of Sainte-Marie' Jack informed them.

'The Mayor? Really?' gasped Pete. 'And you have time to run a bar as well?'

'Women can multi-task you see!' said Nikki and Catherine high-fived her. Florence remained quiet and her colleagues assumed she was reliving bad memories. Jack and Nikki both patted her shoulder and discretely asked if she was alright. She was, in actual fact, lost in thought regarding both Tiffany and Jenny. She had realised that at this point in time that she was not the only lonely survivor on the island.

J P and Ruby returned after securing the murderers in the jeep. They took a sandwich each to eat on the way back to the station.

'The bus is here' J P informed everyone.

'OK time for us to return to the outside world' announced Jack. 'I hope you all enjoy the rest of your holiday'

'It certainly can't get worse!' declared Adam as they all stood up and left the room. When they emerged from the building their eyes took time to adjust to the bright light.

'Now this is what I expected the Caribbean to be like!' Karen rejoiced and took off her cardigan. The others cheered as well.

Tiffany was sitting on the school steps talking on her phone with tears in her eyes. She ended the call and for the first time since Gavin was murdered, she really let the tears flow. Jenny slowly approached her and held out her arms. The young woman looked up, and after only a few seconds hesitation, went into them and accepted a hug. After five minutes they broke apart and Tiffany faced Jenny.

'I am so sorry for the way I treated you yesterday. I guess I just felt awkward when I thought your friend was the murderer…but I was wrong, and I hope you can forgive me'

'No need to apologise' Jenny assured her. 'I cannot imagine what this must be like for you, but if there is anything we can do, or even if you just want a chat, you know Pete and I are in room 342'

'Thank you. I just phoned my mum. it was so horrible having to give her this news after she and Gavin's family had been so worried about us just being in the middle of a storm. They are going to go round and see Gavin's parents. They are going to be so heartbroken, at least as much as me. I expect they will come over with my mum and dad as soon as they can get a flight'

'Well I hope they won't have to wait to long to get one. It will surely be some comfort to you to have them here'

'I guess it will. I just don't know…how I will go on with my life!'

'You will have to give yourself some time. I can't imagine how I would cope but you are young and strong, I am sure'

'Jen, we need to get on the bus, the driver wants to leave now' Pete called out to his wife.

'Are you coming back to the hotel with us?' Jenny asked Tiffany.

'I suppose so' she set off towards the bus with Jenny and Pete when she was approached by Florence.

'Hello Tiffany. I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute' the Detective Sergeant gave her a sympathetic smile. 'If the bus needs to go I can easily get you a ride back to your hotel in the police van'

'Maybe see you later?' said Jenny as she boarded the bus.

'Yes, and thank you Jenny'

'Um…all the best' Florence said to Jenny before looking up at her friends. There were things she would have liked to have said but she decided her calling must surely be for Tiffany, who now turned to her.

'What can I do for you?'

'It's more what I can do for you' Florence began. 'You see, I wasn't able to tell you this when we were questioning you, but I have been through what you have'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean…my fiancee was murdered too. Six months ago'

'Your fiancee? Really?'

'Yes. It was two days before we were supposed to get married. I followed him to a deserted building and…and someone opened fire on both of us. I nearly died too but my police colleagues got there and called for help. But they were too late to save Patrice…' reliving this memory brought tears to Florence's eyes.

'I am so sorry. That must have been…so horrible for you!'

'It was. And I know that right now, no matter what anyone says, you don't think you will ever smile again. I still feel the same some days'

'That's exactly what it's like. Oh, how have you managed? Especially with having to investigate murders for a living?'

'Well, I have been away from the island since just after it happened. I just returned to be with my sick father before the storm broke out. When I heard what had happened to Gavin, I knew I had to push myself to help with the investigation and get justice for you'

'Wow, that was strong of you. And the ones who did it have been caught. I don't know how to ever thank you!'

'You don't need to thank me. I did what I had to do. Just remember that you are not the only one going through this and think about me on the worst days'

'Thank you so much'

'Listen, here's my number and email address. If you feel like talking to someone who knows what you're going through, either in person while you are on the island, or online or by phone or email after you go home, please know I am here'

'Thank you' The two women hugged before joining Florence's colleagues by the jeep.

'Are you ready, Tiffany?' asked Jack. 'Polly and Henri are in the back but there is a barrier so you won't have to look at them' he ushered her into the back seat of the jeep and Florence got in beside her.

'Well, I suppose I'd better get going myself' said Catherine, passing the jeep.

'Will you be having a rest this afternoon?' Jack asked her.

'No, I really need to get the bar open as soon as possible. I've already lost three days. I'll do my bit of the clean up by clearing my area of the street'

'Well, do remember to have a lie in tomorrow! You must be exhausted!' said J P.

'I am tired, but I always do what I have to'

'Would you like a ride back to the bar? We could squeeze you in?' asked Jack.

'Thank you, but I think I'll walk and enjoy at bit of the sunshine I have missed'

'Well, take care and I'll no doubt see you soon' said Florence.

'Yes, give my regards to your dad and all your family. Goodbye everyone!' and with that Catherine began her walk.

'Wow! Is this a police vehicle!' Nikki observed the motorcycle and sidecar with great interest. 'I've never seen anything like this in London!'

'Sainte-Marie's best!' smiled Ruby with pride as she put her helmet on.

'It's a little bumpy but you get used to it' J P informed her.

'Fancy a ride to your hotel?' Ruby offered.

'Why not!' Nikki's sense of adventure got the better of her. J P handed her his helmet and got into the front of the jeep with Jack.

'I guess I'll see you around!' she quickly looked in the window of the jeep and addressed Jack, Florence and J P'

'Absolutely' said Jack. 'We'll need your post-mortem report – you can use one of our computers if you don't have one at your hotel. And if the beach shack where I live is still standing, I'll be having a barbecue tomorrow night'

'That will be lovely. I look forward to that. See you all later' She touched Florence's shoulder before addressing Tiffany 'Once again I am so sorry for your loss'

'Thank you' said Tiffany, taking her hand.

Nikki returned to the motorcycle where Ruby was waiting for her 'I just hope I can fit in here!' she noticed how small the sidecar looked.

'You'll be fine, just duck down and watch your head!' Ruby assured her. She put on the helmet and slowly got herself in. Ruby mounted the bike and waited until Jack drove off before setting off behind him, slowly at first, but once on the open road she picked up speed.

'Aaaahh!' Nikki screamed. Ruby didn't slow down, even on roads with bit of debris lying on them that made for a bumpy ride. They splashed through puddles left by the rain and the sidecar window was soon very dirty and hard to see out of. They ran over a small, fallen tree branch and Nikki was convinced the sidecar was going to come apart from the bike and thrust her into a building or oncoming vehicle. 'Aaaaahhhh!' she screamed again. Nikki was relieved when they finally arrived at the White Sands Hotel.

'Was that fun?' Ruby asked her with a glint in her eye.

'It was…thrilling. Thank you very much'

'Any time!'

'Probably see you around while I'm on the island?'

'You bet! See ya!' Ruby set off for the police station.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18 – The Aftermath

The police jeep arrived at the station, having first dropped Tiffany off at the Honore Palace. Florence had offered to stay with Tiffany but the bereft young woman had assured her that all she wanted at that point in time was to be alone. Having understood this Florence had set off again with her colleagues. On arrival at the police station, Jack and J P escorted Polly and Henri inside to the cells while Florence climbed the steps slowly and took her time, stopping to look at the view from the balcony, remembering moments with her police colleagues. She wandered into the station and looked around. The items on, and setups of Jack's, J P's and Ruby's desks were just as she remembered them, and the well-used white board was still in its place. A new filing cabinet had been installed but apart from that nothing had really changed. She walked over to the desk that had been hers until six months ago. It was noticeable that it had been used, as the computer monitor had been moved and a pencil holder was there that had not been hers. But it was clear that nobody was working at this station at present. She wondered if a permanent replacement had been appointed as yet, and if not, could she decide to stay on Sainte-Marie and resume her old life? But then her reflection returned to the murder she had just helped to solve. She realised she now viewed crime, particularly murder, through a different pair of eyes than she had before she had become an attempted murder survivor and a bereft fiancee. She was slowly coming to terms with this and had just about managed to keep her objectivity during the investigation but accepted she probably needed some more time, and possibly some kind of counselling for PTSD like Nikki had suggested. Plus, she now had some other ideas concerning her immediate if not permanent future. She hoped she would have some time to think things through while she was home and not working.

'A penny for your thoughts' Jack interrupted her reverie as he and J P returned from the cells.

'Sorry?' she had not heard that expression before.

'I mean, what are you thinking about, if you don't mind me asking? How do you feel being back here?'

'Oh. It looks…just the same I guess!' she didn't share much at that time.

'Have you missed it?' asked J P.

'I've missed you lot, yes' she gav hug.

'You could come back, you know?' Jack suggested, as if he had been able to read her thoughts a few seconds ago, but she just laughed that off.

'Well, I guess we are on clean-up duty' said J P.

'Yes, indeed' agreed Jack. 'And here comes another hand' At that point Ruby arrived back.

'Is Nikki safely back at her hotel?' Florence asked her.

'Oh yes, she's fine' Ruby assured her.

'I hope you didn't speed over the debris and scare her?!'

'Would I do that?!' They all rolled their eyes.

'OK. We'll be spending this afternoon clearing away the debris from the area around the police station and our stretch of the main road below. After that we are all having two days' rest, with each of us taking a turn each at being on call for emergencies'

'Hurray!' Ruby cheered and high-fived J P.

'Florence, don't feel you have to join us as you've done a great job already on the murder investigation. Feel free to get back to your family now if you wish?'

'Thank you, Sir, but I will have plenty time to spend with them as I'll probably stay on another two weeks to assist my mum as my dad recovers. My brothers are out at work all day and it would be hard for her on her own. But for now, I am happy to assist you' And with that she picked up a broom and followed the others outside.

The Honore Palace had almost fully re-opened by the time the Manchester group had arrived back there. The staff they had encountered had all been in shock regarding Polly and the manager was making phone calls to try to get a temporary member of staff in to cover her duties. Jenny, understandably exhausted and having a very sore head after the events and sleep deprivation of the last few days, had gone straight up to her room to sleep, and Pete also went up to make sure she was alright and had everything she needed. Karen had gone to get beers for Adam and David as well as water for herself, and the two men had been left sitting by themselves on the hotel terrace. At first, the recent awkwardness between them threatened to resume, but Adam swallowed his pride and turned to David;

'Hey, David, did you mean what you said earlier, about never hurting Karen _or anyone she loved_?'

'Yes' David replied. 'Yes, I did'

'So…that includes me?'

'Yes, even you Adam'

'Well, that's really nice to hear. Thank you'

'You know, I can see more and more that you really do love Karen and that she is not just your latest conquest'

'I'm glad you do, because I do love her. Being locked up and not knowing if I would ever be free again made me realise just how lucky I've been to have her in my life the way I have for the last few months. I also started to see where you were coming from when you doubted me, as I know I haven't taken relationships seriously in the past, but I can promise you now, David, my womanising days are behind me'

'I'll stand you to that!'

'And I also realised how lucky I am to have so many good friends. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, but I wouldn't want to lose you as a friend'

'The feeling's mutual. I am sorry for judging you'

'And I'm sorry for rubbing it in about my relationship with Karen and putting you down'

'You are forgiven'

The two men shared a man hug as Karen re-appeared with the drinks.

'Aww, how long I have waited to see this!' she put the tray down on the table and joined in the hug. Just as they broke apart Pete appeared.

'Oh great, I fancy a pint. Did you get one for me?' he asked hopefully.

'No, but we didn't know if you'd be down' Karen apologised.

'How's Jen?' asked Adam.

'She's fine. Out like a light. We'll probably not see her until tomorrow morning!'

'I can't wait to get up to bed myself' said Karen. 'I think I might go after this drink'

'I think I might join you' said Adam suggestively.

'Well, I for one am going to offer my services for the clean-up operation' announced David.

'Are you crazy?' laughed Pete.

'No, I 'm serious. I am about to be a businessman again but also hope to continue to help with the café as much as I can. So, I am going to have to get used to working with little sleep! May as well start here!'

'I hope you're not going to overdo it!' chastised Karen. 'I mean, back home as well as here'

'I promise to get at least six hours sleep per night and to still make time to be a father to the girls' he assured her.

'Well, I suppose if you're doing it I will too' decided Pete, quickly drinking the half pint he had got for himself. 'You in, Adam?'

Adam looked like he'd rather do anything but sweep the streets. 'I suppose. I can't be shown up by you two!' he reluctantly agreed.

'That's what I like to hear!' David smiled.

'I suppose seeing it's the twenty-first century I should join in too' said Karen.

'Great. It won't be half so bad if you're at my side!' Adam cheered up.

'Right. I'll send a text to Jen in case she wakes up and wonders where we are!' Pete got out his phone. 'I am delighted we are all good friends again' and they all drank to that.

Half a mile away at the White Sands, Nikki collapsed on her bed and got out her tablet. She opened FaceTime and dialled Matt's number. She prayed the network would be available, and indeed that Matt would answer. Thankfully, twenty seconds later, she saw his face on the screen for the first time in three days.

'Nikki, thank God! I've been so worried' said Matt in his American accent.

'I'm fine, the storm is over now' she assured him.

'They kept showing pictures of Storm Theodore on the news here. It looked frightening. Was it really that bad and is everyone OK?'

'It was bad, but the damage wasn't as bad as they expected. It certainly wasn't as terrifying for me as my ordeal in Mexico, or the time you were attacked!'

'I hope you stayed indoors'

'Oh yes, we were evacuated to the local school as they were scared there would be damage to hotels and residences'

'Oh no, that sounds awful!'

'It was, it was a blessing in disguise for you that your flight was cancelled when it was. I got squashed in a corner my first night there'

'You poor thing'

'But after that I was working and that passed the time'

'_Working?_' she told him all about the murder.

'Gosh, that's awful. That poor young man and the girl he was to marry'

'I was glad to be able to do my bit. I actually sat beside the girl on the plane on my way over'

'You're kidding?'

'No. It was such a shock to find out it was her fiancée'

'I'll bet it was'

'But I ended up working with some amazing detectives and police officers. All good, honest and friendly'

'Unlike the corrupt ones you usually tell me about in London?'

'Exactly. The Detective Inspector who was leading the investigation is an Irish widower, lovely man and an excellent detective'

'Should I be worried?'

'No, not at all. He still misses his wife and I have eyes only for you!'

'Awww'

'And I found a very good friend in the Detective Sergeant working with him. Florence. She has been through so much. She got shot and her fiancee was killed, just like the victim's fiancee. It just seems so unfair but she is coping well considering'

'Jeez!'

'And J P and Ruby are a laugh'

'And here was I thinking you'd be missing me!'

'I was, believe me. All this has been making me appreciate what I have' They smiled at one another for a few seconds.

'So, what's the island like?'

'Well, it looks beautiful in the sun, now that I have finally seen it!' she got up and walked to the balcony and turned the tablet around to let Matt see the view.

'It does look beautiful' he agreed.

'Great. So when are you coming?'

'Ah, that's the bad news'

'What do you mean? Don't tell me you have to work?'

'Says you that never stops!'

'Seriously?'

'I've been on the website of every single airline this morning but all flights to anywhere in the Caribbean are full. I also tried other airports in the States but nothing. It doesn't look like I'll get there'

'Oh no! Have they not put on any extra flights for those whose original flights were cancelled?'

'Not so far'

'Oh Matt, I'm gutted. I would have so loved to have been here with you. But I'll go online now and see if I can get a flight to Washington'

'You want to leave your island paradise and your new friends already?'

'Matt, the idea was to spend time with you and that's what I want to do!'

'Oh Nikki, I just wanna give you a hug right now!'

'Hopefully you'll get one soon'

'Well, keep me posted'

'I will. I love you'

'I love you too.

'Bye'

They blew each other a kiss and Nikki pressed the button to end the call. She sighed and lay down on the bed again in frustration. There were so many things she was desperate to speak to Matt about and goodness knew how long it would be until she was able to see him in person again. Sheer exhaustion caused her to doze for a few minutes, but she was woken up by noise on the beach below. She got up and went to the balcony again and saw a big group of people clearing debris from the sand. They all looked as tired as she was but happy to give of their time to get the island back to its full beauty. So, she put on her shoes and went downstairs to join them.

So many people joined in the clean-up operation that it was finished by the time the sun went down that evening. The branches, broken signs and other debris had disappeared from the streets and the beach was clean and ready for tourists and locals to relax on in the morning.

'Gosh, I had it in my mind we'd be going to Catherine's after this, but I don't think I can keep my eyes open a moment longer!' said Ruby. 'So, I'm going home for a big shower, a big eat and a big sleep!' she announced as she closed the broom cupboard back at the police station.

'Just as well as I really need to get home to Rosie' said J P. 'She was lucky to be able to stay at home during the storm as we live outwith the risky area. She has texted me three times this afternoon asking when I'll finally be home!'

'Well, off you go then and don't keep the missus waiting!' instructed Jack and he and Ruby both left the station. 'Shall I drive you to your parents' house, Florence?'

'That would be good. But let's go by the shack first to make sure it is still standing! If there is any damage, I am sure we could put you up for a few days!'

'That's very kind of you but I'd hate to impose on your family while your dad is still sick. But yes, I would appreciate being able to check on the shack. I was so busy with the murder investigation, then the clean-up, that I had forgotten all about it!'

They drove the short distance in companionable silence since they were both extremely tired. When Jack drove off the main road and in towards the beach, he was nervous in case he was about to witness destruction, but he breathed a big sigh of relief when he beheld the shack almost just as he had left it. The only small piece of damage was that the small bathroom window had been broken by a falling tree branch.

'Well, at least that's easily fixed!' commented Jack.

'Here, let me help you clean up' said Florence, getting out of the jeep.

'Surely you must be fed up of cleaning by now?'

'One more brush won't hurt!' she got out a broom and swept up the glass while Jack shifted the fallen branches.

'Fancy a quick drink before I take you home?'

'That would be lovely' Jack got two beers out of his still-working fridge and they sat down at the table on the porch.

'It's good to be here again' Florence looked at the view out to sea.

'That view takes some beating, doesn't it?'

'You know, I've really missed talking to you. Being away from the island has helped me somewhat but I haven't had the chance to speak to anyone who understands loss the way you do'

'I know what you mean. I came over here a month after Kathleen died and buried myself in my new life. But it doesn't take it away, does it?'

'Not the way I imagined'

'You know I'm always at the other end of the phone or FaceTime, any time you need a chat?'

'I'll maybe take you up on that, thank you'

'What's that noise?' Jack heard a rustling coming from a newspaper that was lying at the other side of the porch.

'I hope it's not a spider!' Florence declined to approach it. Jack slowly unfolded the paper and stepped back in fright when a green figure was revealed.

'Harry!' he gasped. 'You've survived!' Jack went over to stroke the little green lizard's head.

'Phew! I can handle lizards!' Florence relaxed.

'It's amazing how they don't get wiped out in storms'

'Try keeping them away! They're adjusted to the climate'

'So, how are you adjusting to life on Martinique?'

'Well, the climate is pretty much the same, as is everything else except the specific towns and scenery. And of course, while I have my aunt and uncle and a few other relations I have had to try to adjust to different company. And it's not just the change of location, it's the change in me as well. I only just realised a couple of days ago after talking to Nikki and hearing some of her stories that I quite possibly have something called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder'

'Oh Florence, I'm not surprised considering what you suffered. It's quite common in survivors of violent crime. Is there a therapist on Martinique that you could speak to? I know that might sound daunting but believe me it helps'

'That's just the thing. There are some counsellors but on small islands it is difficult to find a specialist in anything like that. I was just thinking how good it would be to have some kind of online service that people all over the world could access to get advice from someone who is an expert in whatever area they need help with, or even just have a chat with people who have been through the same thing'

'I think that's a fabulous idea. It could potentially help thousands of people. Are you thinking about setting this up yourself?'

'It had crossed my mind but how on earth would I go about it? And how would I get people on board who are experts? I was beginning to think it must be too ambitious'

'Perhaps it is quite ambitious, but if you don't do it who will? You should talk to Nikki while she's still on the island and see if she can suggest any contacts she might have made'

'Perhaps I will' Florence stood up and looked at the view of the sea again. 'Remember the night we got drunk here together?'

'How could I forget that?' Jack laughed and stood up beside her and put his hand on top of hers. Still, Florence looked out to sea.

'We had such good times working together…'

'We had' Jack noticed how beautiful Florence looked in the light of the moon, and thinking she was of the same mind as he was, he slowly leant over to kiss her.

'…You, me, J P and Ruby. You've always been like an extra dad to us all'

Jack quickly pulled back, realising what a terrible mistake he had almost made. He had let his imagination run away with him and think Florence had romantic feelings for him. But, of course she didn't. Not only was she over twenty years younger than him but she was obviously still hurting from the loss of Patrice and not ready to think about another relationship, as well as coming to terms with the likelihood of having PTSD and possible ongoing anxieties about her real dad. Thankfully she hadn't noticed what he had been about to do, but still he felt like a fool, guilty, embarrassed and deflated.

'Are you alright?' she asked him.

'Yes, I'm fine. I think the lack of sleep is just catching up with me. Anyway, I'd better get you home'

'Gosh, yes indeed. I hadn't noticed the time. My family will be getting worried!'

Jack drove Florence home and made little conversation on the way. When he got back, he kept beating himself up for his mistake as he had a quick wash, made himself a sandwich and ate it, and finally climbed into bed. Harry looked down on him from the tree in the middle of the shack.

'Oh Harry, what are you going to do with this idiot of an old man?' Tears came to his eyes, and had he not been virtually awake for three days he probably would not have slept. But he could keep his eyes open no longer and within ten minutes he was fast asleep.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 – A Sacrifice

By midday the following day, life on Sainte-Marie had more or less returned to normal. Most people had begun to catch up on lost sleep and gotten up later than usual since this day and the following day had been declared recovery holidays.

Catherine was feeling refreshed and had just arrived at the bar to work for a few hours before another staff member took over. She had just set out the tables and was setting out a selection of beverages on the outdoor bar corner when she looked up and saw her first customer, a familiar friendly face.

'Good afternoon Florence' she smiled at her young friend.

'Good afternoon Catherine. It's so good to see the sun again, isn't it?'

'It certainly is. How is your dad today?'

'Oh, he is still improving, thankfully. He and my mum send their regards and thank you for yours'

'That's good. What can I get you?'

'Just an orange juice for now. I'm not stopping long, just meeting Nikki'

'Ah, the pathologist? That's nice. Are you going to show her around while she waits for her boyfriend to get over here?'

'Yes, I guess so' she looked thoughtful. 'Ah, here she is'

'Good afternoon Nikki' said Catherine. 'How are you today?'

'I'm well, thank you Catherine. Much better for finally having had a decent sleep'

'Aren't we all!' agreed Florence. 'Did you do much last night?'

'It was a bit of a frustrating night, actually' Nikki informed them. I spoke to Matt, my boyfriend, when I got back to the hotel and he told me he can't get a flight over here until after I leave'

'Oh no, that's such a shame' said Catherine.

'Yes indeed' Nikki sighed. 'After I helped with the clean-up outside my hotel, I tried to book a flight over to Washington to be with Matt but there's nothing going the other way either. And now Matt isn't answering his phone, so I haven't even been able to tell him! So, it looks like I'm stuck here on my own. At least I had my post-mortem report to do to keep me amused until I finally fell asleep!'

'You're not on your own, you have us!' Florence assured her. 'And wow, that was quick work on the report!'

'I don't hang about' she assured them.

'Can I get you a drink?' Catherine asked Nikki. 'On the house'

'Thank you both so much. A small drink would be nice, perhaps some juice for me too, or whatever you're having?' Nikki eyed Florence's glass. 'I'm not sure what Florence's plans are?'

'I'm having orange juice' said Florence. 'There's something I wanted to speak to you about'

'OK. Well, I'll have an orange juice as well please' Nikki placed her order, and when Catherine had poured it, Florence indicated a table. Catherine was intrigued but tried her best not to listen to their conversation. She looked over to the main bar but there were only two customers there that her barman Georges could easily cope with.

'You see, I've been thinking a lot about her as well as…' she heard Florence say. Who was she talking about? Tiffany perhaps?

'Excuse me could I get a rum and coke please' a new customer took her attention away and she turned to serve them.

'…I know what I need to do now to get a small amount of funding for the project…' Catherine wondered what project Florence was referring to.

'Are you serving meals today?' the rum and coke customer posed another question.

'Not at the moment as we're waiting for our food delivery, but hopefully by this evening. Sorry'

Nikki's eyes were wide and she had covered her mouth as if in shock. 'Wow! That's big…and so bold! Are you really sure you want to do that? I'd hate you to regret it!' Catherine racked her brains trying to fathom what they were talking about now. What could be so big and bold? She supposed she must be thinking about going to Belle-Mere to visit Patrice's family and bar. Perhaps she needed a bit of closure she hadn't got before leaving the island after his death?

'Excuse me, ma'am. Could I get a bottle of your best beer please?' an older gentlemen had come in and she quickly served him.

'…Will you come with me? I could use some moral support' Florence put the question to Nikki and Catherine could not help continuing to be intrigued. If she was going to Belle-Mere she probably could use some moral support she thought.

'Sure, come here!' Nikki gave Florence a big hug. 'You're such a good and selfless person. I really admire you' Well, Catherine had always known that, but what selfless act was she going to do at Belle-Mere – if that indeed was where she was going? She supposed it was none of her business since she had not decided to share her plan with anyone except Nikki.

'Thank you for the rum' This customer called to Catherine as he left the bar.

'You're welcome. Thank you, Sir'

'We're off Catherine' said Florence, pretending nothing was going on.

'Thank you again for the drink' said Nikki.

'You're welcome. Have a good day'

After the girls had gone, Catherine pondered their conversation for a good while as she encountered a quiet period, but half an hour later her next group of customers arrived and took over her attention. It was the three amigos, a.k.a. Adam, Pete and David.

'Good afternoon…oh, it's yourself!' said Adam as he recognised Catherine from the day before.

'Good afternoon gentlemen' said Catherine. 'I hope you are enjoying the island now that you have seen it in its better-known sunshine and beauty?'

'Yes indeed, it's lovely' said Pete. 'The view from our room is stunnin'

'Very hot though!' smiled David, and Catherine could have sworn he blushed a little, although his face was a little sunburnt. 'Mayor…what is your surname again?'

'Bordey' said Catherine 'But call me Catherine, please'

'It beats the cold and rain in Manchester' said Adam.

'Oh yes, it's always hot here, except when there's a storm in progress, of course, but that's it all over now!'

'So now we can finally taste your island's beer!' said Pete, getting to the point. 'What would you recommend?'

'The most popular beer here is this one' she said, showing them a long, thin bottle containing blonde liquid.

'That looks good' said Adam and his friends nodded. 'We'll have one each'

Catherine handed them three bottles. 'Thank you' they all said as they headed over to the same table that Florence and Nikki had recently vacated.

'Well, cheers amigos!' said Pete who sat in between his two friends. They all clinked glasses. 'I am so happy you two are friends again. I've really missed me amigo time!'

'I've missed it too' said Adam. 'Being locked in that room and thinking my life was basically over really made me appreciate the people in my life'

'I'm just glad the whole murder investigation is over. I was getting worried for my freedom too' said David.

'Inspector Mooney is a genius though' said Pete. 'You know how much I disliked him during our ordeal, but hearin' him reveal what had really 'appened, an' how he'd been fooled really showed me his true colours!'

'I know. I didn't think I'd ever like him either' said Adam, 'but I don't think he'd ever really put away the wrong person'

'I thought the Detective girl, was it Castles? was too sweet to be a detective and would never condemn anyone, but she had plenty to say to Polly and her Uncle didn't she?' said David.

'Yes, she's definitely the good cop' said Pete, 'but brilliant all the same'.

'And I'll never forget the moment the officer with the big hair threw her shoe at that lift button!' laughed Adam.

'I know, an' I thought she was too silly an' all!' agreed Pete.

'The young male officer is strong and courteous, albeit a bit more conventional' said David. 'The type that will probably climb the ranks quickly'

'Yes, but I think it was the forensics woman that saved me' said Adam. 'She must have worked all hours to prove my DNA was not on the victim or his belongings'

'An' she's good lookin' an' all!' Pete looked over at David. 'wasn't that the same chick you was chattin' up on the bus the other day?'

'She sat next to me, yes' said David. 'But she made it clear she has a boyfriend'

'Aww that's a shame. Given up on the idea of a holiday romance?' Adam teased him.

'Not at all There are plenty more fish in the sea'

'Such as…' Pete got the idea David must have someone in mind.

'No-one in particular' David said defensively, but a few minutes later Adam caught him looking over at Catherine.

'You're not chasing after the Mayor are you? You can't be scared of the chase, man!'

'As if she'd look at you!' teased Pete. But moments later Catherine looked over in their direction and smiled. 'Or maybe she would?'

'Don't' be silly you two! Well, I'll probably never see her again anyway. She seems to be finishing her shift and is probably off to meet her lover' David resigned himself to the seemingly inevitable conclusion.

'Aww diddums!' Adam patted his shoulder and Pete followed suit.

Just as Catherine was gathering her things together, Pete's phone beeped. 'Ah, Brian. We're all invited to a barbecue at their villa, Plage De Sol, by the beach this evening. He's given me directions'

'That will be fun' said Adam. 'Just what you need to drown your sorrows, eh David?' Catherine had just walked past them on her way out of the bar, giving them a brief wave goodbye.

'It will be nice to spend time with friends and not think about women!' David assured them. But Adam and Pete looked knowingly at each other.

'I'll text Jen. Give the girls a chance to get ready an' maybe go over and help Tania if they're not doin' much'

'I suppose we'd better drink up and go' suggested Adam and they all did so.

Over at the shack, Jack had woken up late with a headache. He wondered why he felt so low and quickly remembered his almost embarrassing error the previous evening. He took some pain killers and poured himself some pineapple juice. Florence hadn't shown any signs of realising what he had nearly done, but he was still worried in case she had. His colleagues would be arriving for a barbecue in a few hours and would all surely notice any awkwardness between them. As he sat down on the porch and drank his juice he thought about how old and unattractive he was starting to feel, and also more guilt, this time feeling he had been disloyal to his beloved Kathleen by looking at another woman. Was this natural after three years or should he be ashamed of himself regardless of who the other woman was? And how would Kathleen feel? Would she be hurt and feel betrayed or would she want him to move on should he eventually meet someone more appropriate for him rather than be lonely? He thought about how good it would be to have someone to talk to about this. But who could that be? J P? He was the only other male he had regular contact with, apart from the Commissioner who was hardly an expert on relationships, but he was a young married man who would not be able to relate to his situation as a widower. Plus, if J P let it slip to Ruby what had happened, he would never hear the end of it at work. Catherine? She would soon work out that these thoughts had been brought on by Florence and would probably chastise him since she was a family friend she looked out for. Siobhan? She would be horrified that he had almost made a move on someone who had been like a big sister to her during her first few months on the island and would never in a million years have thought of as a potential stepmother. He realised he missed his friends back home and that it was several years since he had been 'out with the lads'.

Time ran away from Jack as he obsessed over his dilemma, and after what only seemed like a few minutes, but was in fact hours, he was startled from his reverie by the arrival of his first guests.

'Good afternoon Inspector' said J P as he climbed the porch steps followed by a beautiful young woman Jack had only met once or twice before. 'Are you alright?'

'Oh, Hi J P. Yes, I'm fine, just a little tired still. Hi Rosie, glad you could make it'

'Good to see you, Inspector Mooney' said Rosie.

'Is there anything we can do to help?' J P noticed that Jack was not even dressed and had not set up the barbecue.

'Em…why don't you get yourselves a drink from the fridge and enjoy the view while I quickly get dressed? Then I'll get the barbecue going and you could maybe help me prepare some kebabs and salad? Sorry for my disorganisation'

'Don't worry, Inspector. Everyone we have met today is still recovering too' Rosie informed him. Jack was relieved that they were assuming he was just suffering from fatigue and were not wondering what the real source of his disorganisation was.

'Hieeee' Ruby made her grand entrance at that point.

'Oh, hi Ruby. Please get yourself a drink and I'll be with you all shortly' Jack instructed her.

'Did you forget we were coming, Inspector Mooney?' Ruby asked, pretending to be offended.

'No, not at all. I was so tired I slept late, and time ran away with me. I won't be long' Jack made his escape and was relieved when Ruby's attention was quickly diverted.

'Hello, you must be Rosie. Finally, I get to meet you. I was beginning to think J P had made you up, perhaps because he was scared in case I fancied him?!' J P and Rosie laughed.

'Well, as you can see, I am quite real' said Rosie. 'And it's good to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you'

'All good I hope?' she eyed J P suspiciously.

'All good' J P assured her. 'And by the way, I'm not scared of you, and wouldn't be even if you did fancy me!' They laughed and Ruby got herself a drink and joined J P and Rosie on the porch. Jack soon returned, fully dressed and less bedraggled looking, and in no time at all the four of them had got the barbecue going.

'Good afternoon everyone!' Catherine appeared dressed in a colourful dress as usual and carrying a big food contribution.

'Good afternoon Catherine!' they all shouted back.

'Hi Rosie, how are you? It's been a while since I last saw you!' Catherine addressed J P's wife.

'I'm well. Been doing photo shoots on other islands but thankfully home for a while now'

'Gosh, we have so much food here and such a big barbecue!' commented Jack. 'We are going to be eating the leftovers for at least a week!'

'Better than field rations though!' said Ruby.

'What could be worse than a whole week of that?!' agreed J P.

'I take it I didn't miss anything food-wise at the school then?' asked Rosie.

'You didn't miss anything at all!' Catherine assured her. 'So, who else is coming then?'

'Oh, just Florence and Nikki' Jack informed her. 'Unless your Uncle Selwyn decides to come?' he looked at Ruby.

'Oh, Uncle Selly said something about being busy with…I can't remember what!' Ruby mimicked her uncle.

'Oh well, I guess he's not coming then' Jack looked at his watch. 'I thought the girls would be here by now, though' Jack began to feel anxious in case Florence's late or non-arrival had something to do with last night.

'Here they are now!' said J P, looking round the side of the shack. 'At least I think it's them?!' Two women appeared around the corner, holding hands and wearing big scarves on their heads.

'It'll be fine' Jack heard Nikki whisper to Florence, who was looking very nervous, and this made him even more uncomfortable.

'Hey, nobody told me this was a fancy-dress barbecue!' complained Ruby, eyeing up the matching scarves.

'Or us!' Rosie pointed out.

'Is everything alright with you two?' Catherine asked, noticing how nervous the two women looked and remembering the bits of their conversation she had overheard earlier.

'Yes, we're fine' said Florence sheepishly. 'We just have… something to tell you'

'Oh my gosh, you're gay! You're coming out to us!' gasped Ruby. 'You didn't need to worry…'

'Oh no, it's nothing like that!' Nikki smiled.

'Well, what's going on with you?' J P was intrigued.

'Ah, you've been to the hairdressers, haven't you?' said Jack, noticing a lock of hair hanging out of Nikki's scarf that was not her colour.

'Um…yes we have. You're in detective mode!' Nikki acknowledged.

'Oh dear, did they mess up your hair?' Catherine went to console them.

'They did nothing wrong' said Florence.

'Well, come on, let's see then!' Ruby almost grabbed at Nikki's scarf before she voluntarily took it off to reveal dark brown hair.

'Wow, very nice!' complimented Jack.

'Gosh, you look so different, I would never have recognised you!' said Ruby, 'Suits you though'

'Yes, it goes well with your brown eyes' agreed Catherine.

'Hmm, I liked you blonde' said J P. 'But brown is nice too' he added when Rosie gave him a stern look.

'Is that all you were worried about?' Jack enquired.

'For me, yes' said Nikki, taking Florence's hand again.

'So, what did they do to you, Florence?' asked Rosie.

'You haven't gone blonde have you?' asked Ruby.

'Um…no' said Florence.

'No, it wouldn't suit you' said Catherine.

'Did you cut it?' Jack dared to address Florence. 'Nothing wrong with that if you fancied a change?'

'Come on, off with the scarf!' Ruby was jumping up and down and would have pulled if off herself, but Florence decided to bite the bullet and let go of Nikki's hand. She stood up tall, took a deep breath in and slowly lifted off the scarf. The excited looks on the faces of her friends turned to looks of utter shock as they beheld her newly shaved head. Nobody spoke for several seconds.

'Why…why did you do that to yourself!' J P gasped, almost in tears. 'You look more like a man…and your hair was so beautiful…'

'J P!' chastised Rosie. 'Don't' make her feel bad! It's her choice. People have reasons for doing radical things like this. Don't judge!'

'I wasn't judging. It's just…a shock. I'm sorry' J P bowed his head.

'I'm sorry to have scared you' Florence found her voice. 'I felt I needed to do this after meeting Jenny and seeing what her cancer treatment had done to her. It was my choice, like Rosie said, but women like Jenny don't have a choice. They have to have treatment or they have no chance of survival. They feel de-feminised and ugly, because our society values people who are attractive and have the nicest hair, but it shouldn't be this way when beauty is inside of us rather than outside. I had a desire to stand in solidarity with them and that feeling wasn't going to go away!'

'Wow!' said Ruby and all the others gasped, many of them moved to tears.

'And I donated my hair to a charity that make wigs for cancer patients' Florence continued. 'There are a lot of people here, women in particular, who get cancer and lose their hair and cannot afford a wig. They suffer more indignity that the wealthier sufferers which is not fair'

'Well…I think you are the most beautiful person I know!' declared Catherine. 'What you have done is so brave and selfless and I for one am extremely proud of you!' she gave her a big hug.

'You have a heart of gold!' said Ruby, throwing her arms around her former colleague.

'You're truly amazing!' said Jack, too caught up in emotion to worry about his own problem. 'I know Kathleen would have been touched if someone had stood in solidarity with her like that when she lost her hair!' he boldly gave his friend his biggest hug ever, which she accepted without showing any sign of realising what had happened the night before.

'Would she really?' said Florence.

'I believe so. Why do you doubt it?'

'It's just…Nikki and I were walking through the market just after doing this and this woman approached me and said _'So you think shaving your head makes you understand what it's like to have cancer, do you? I had it and I'm telling you, you don't have a clue, girl. Are you going to shave your eyebrows, lashes and nasal hair as well, and undertake surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, suffer constant fatigue, be rejected by your friends and face the possibility of death? Only then will you understand us. It's not just about losing your hair. You have just pumped up your own ego!'_

'Seriously?' said Rosie.

'So, I thought I must have been naïve and made a terrible mistake' Florence continued. 'Done something that was going to offend cancer sufferers and survivors rather than helping them. That's why I bought the scarf and was afraid of showing you what I had done!'

'But your intention was not to hurt anyone, nor to inflate your ego!' Catherine assured her. 'I know you too well to think that for a minute.

'That's what I told her!' Nikki backed her up.

'I do recall that there were one or two women who Kathleen had treatment with who found some of the adverts put out by charities to encourage head shaving offensive' said Jack. 'I think it was just because it brought back unpleasant memories for them of when they lost their hair. But still, I don't remember any of them ever getting upset with anyone for actually doing this to raise funds for cancer research, or indeed to make a donation for a wig'

'I can't think who that woman you met could be' said Catherine. 'But if she was from the poorer part of the island, she might have faced more stigma for her condition than if she was wealthier, like you mentioned. It could have brought back bad memories for her like the woman Jack was talking about, but still, she doesn't know you and shouldn't have judged you like that'

'Plus, you do know all about facing the possibility of death at least' J P reminded her.

'And someone will get a wig that might not have gotten one otherwise. Whoever gets your hair is the luckiest of the unlucky people!' declared Rosie, giving Florence a big hug. Nikki hugged her too before encouraging her further.

'There is another reason for what Florence did as well. Did you tell them about your plan?'

'Oh, what plan?' asked Ruby excitedly and the others were also intrigued.

'I would like to set up an online counselling service for people who have suffered things like I have and have no access to a face to face service' Florence told them. 'And indeed, for people who are uncomfortable with face to face counselling. Survivors could come together and help each other'

'That's a lovely idea!' said Catherine. 'I don't know how much it would cost to set up, but I will put up a collection tin at the bar. You can give me some pictures to let people see what you have done and that will hopefully inspire them to donate'

'Thank you, Catherine. That would be a big help!'

'And could this service not be used by people who have faced cancer as well?' suggested Jack. 'That's what sufferers really need – the opportunity to connect with others in the same boat who can understand them in a way others can't'

'I suppose it could!' Florence began to feel better.

'So, your sacrifice could really help cancer sufferers in a practical way!' Nikki further encouraged her.

'Yes. And I'll be getting myself a wig or two so nobody will see me and suffer painful reminders'

'There you go, nothing to worry about!' said Ruby.

'I just wonder how Jenny would feel about what I have done. She inspired me, but I am now worried in case it would have upset her'

'Have you thought about speaking to her?' suggested Catherine. 'Find out how you could make the online service work for people in her situation? Surely she couldn't knock your decision then?'

'That's a good idea, although I wouldn't know what to expect. Plus, I don't know whether I'll see her again now we are out of the school and the murder investigation is over'

'I can help there' Catherine went on. 'The three men in her group were in the bar when I left. They were going to a barbecue at the Plage De Sol villa just along the beach. The girls were going to go along early and help their friends from the school hall and may well be there now'

'Shall we quickly go along and see if we can find Jenny? I'm happy to come with you' suggested Nikki.

'OK, we won't be long, Jack'

'Don't worry, I was a bit late in getting the barbecue going and we have been talking so long I haven't got any of the food cooked yet' he assured them. 'Gosh, you two brought donations too. There's enough here to feed twenty people! I suppose I'd better get started!'


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 – Survivors

Florence and Nikki walked along the beach until they came to Plage De Sol. The small villa appeared to be deserted and all they saw was two beach towels with dresses and flip-flops on top of them. On one of the towels was a big orange head scarf tied in a way that would make it cover the wearer's whole head, and a key for a room at the Honore Palace.

'I think there is a good chance this could be Jenny's' said Florence, weighing up the evidence as if examining a crime scene.

'I would agree' said Nikki, who then went over to the other towel. 'But who would this pile belong to?'

'Karen?' suggested Florence.

'That would have been my first guess before looking at what's here' said Nikki. 'But I can't imagine Karen wearing this' Nikki held up a baseball cap with a picture of a boy band on it.

'Hmm that would more than likely belong to a teenage girl' agreed Florence.

'The daughter of their new friends who had the photo of Henri on her phone?'

'She would be the most likely candidate'

'OK, so, where are they?' Florence and Nikki looked out to sea but could not see anybody swimming nearby.

'Oh no, what if Jenny swam out to sea and began to feel ill and got into trouble?' Florence became anxious.

'But surely the girl would have come to aid her or at least gone to get help?' Nikki tried to assure her.

'True, but it's worrying me that there's nobody here' Florence kicked off her own flip-flops, hitched up her dress and waded into the sea. 'Jenny!' she called, looking around her for any sign of another human being. Nikki, in the meantime, went over to the villa and knocked on the door. When there was no answer she walked around and looked in the windows, but the house was empty and there were no clues as to where the occupants or their friends had gone. Florence ran back ashore and retrieved her phone and was about to call Jack to find out if an emergency had been reported or to get a search organised, when a noise coming towards her caught her attention. Nikki had heard it too and returned to the shore beside her. Thirty seconds later a jet ski pulled up as close to the shore as it could get, and a woman and a teenage girl got off and thanked the driver before walking ashore, panting. Jenny noticed Nikki and Florence standing on the beach and tried to work out where she had seen them before.

'Mrs Gifford?' said Florence and Jenny gave her a strange look.

'You're not…Detective Sergeant Cassell and…Dr Alexander?'

'Yes, it's us' said Nikki.

'Oh no, have I done something wrong?' Jenny looked worried.

'No, we just wanted to speak to you about something. Not related to the murder or anything!'

'Oh, OK' Jenny turned to the girl. 'Daisy, go and get showered and I'll be in shortly' Daisy picked up her dress and cap and put on her flip flops, and wrapped her towel around herself. She took a key for the villa and went inside.

'You had a jet ski ride?' Florence tried to lighten the mood since Jenny seemed apprehensive around them.

'Yes. I felt good today after having a long sleep from yesterday afternoon until late this morning. I decided I should live while I can. Daisy wanted a jet ski ride, but she needed to be accompanied by an adult. Her mum is scared of fast things and her dad is busy trying to sort out a problem with the barbecue. So, I volunteered to go with her!'

'And was it fun, or as scary as it looks?' asked Nikki.

'It was thrilling. After what I've been through nothing really scares me anymore. Except the thought of the cancer coming back. Wait…' she looked at Florence's bald head. 'You're not…ill are you?'

'Oh no, I just decided to donate my hair to make a wig for someone in your situation who cannot afford one, and shave my head to get sponsorship…oh gosh, this doesn't offend you, does it?'

'Offend me?' Jenny was genuinely puzzled.

'I know I can't relate to going through surgery and treatment and the other side effects to fully appreciate what it must have been like for you, but I did experience being shot a few months ago so at least do understand what it's like to face the possibility of death'

'Gosh, I'm sorry to hear that, and it must have been frightening, but I still don't understand why you think you might have offended me?' Florence told her the story of what had happened with the woman at the market.

'Goodness. Well, it's true that you can't fully appreciate what it's like to go through this unless you have been there yourself, and that losing your hair is a horrible memory, but if a genuinely compassionate person like yourself does what you did to share a small part of our suffering, and to give someone a wig, then I think that's a sign of a very big heart and I am really touched that you would make such a sacrifice!'

'Really? That's such a relief!'

'Come here!' the two women had a big hug, both moved to tears. When they moved apart, Jenny asked 'So, you mentioned getting sponsorship. What are you going to be doing?' Florence told her the full story about what had happened to her and Patrice and the counselling service she was planning to set up.

'Oh, my goodness, what a horrible thing to happen to you and your fiancee. I am so sorry. But my goodness, what a wonderful idea you have about setting up this online service. I struggled after I finished my treatment, not knowing who I was any more or my purpose in life. Even those who loved me couldn't understand this and just expected me to get on with things. It wasn't until I called a cancer support group and met others in the same situation that I began to feel better about myself. So, if there are no such services here it must be even more difficult for people finishing treatment. I would be happy to help in any way I could'

'That would be fantastic' said Florence. 'I have greatly benefitted from meeting Nikki here – if it wasn't for the storm, I probably would never have known what I need help with. Networking is very valuable, and I wouldn't have had the chance if it the weather had been good these last few days!'

'So, you're a survivor too?' Jenny addressed Nikki.

'Yes, I am' Nikki told her all about her experiences of being shot and attacked and about what happened to her in Mexico.

'Gosh, I can't imagine how frightening that must have been!' The three women had a group hug before being joined by Daisy, who had finished her shower, and Tania and Karen who had now returned from the shops with barbecue supplies.

'And who have we been supplanted with!' Karen joked, trying to place Florence and Nikki's faces the way Jenny had when she first saw them.

'Don't you remember DS Cassell and Dr Alexander?'

'Of course I do but…you've both changed! What happened to your hair?!'

'I have just found out that DS Cassell here is the most amazing person!' Jenny told her friends.

'Please call me Florence' said Florence. 'Feel free to pronounce it either the French or the English way!' she added for good measure.

'And I'm Nikki' added Nikki.

'And you can call me Jenny or Jen and not make me feel like yer grandma while yer at it!' Jenny insisted. 'And this is Karen and Tania and Daisy'

'Pleased to meet you all in a personal capacity' said Nikki.

'So, what's going on?' asked Karen. Jenny told her friends what Florence had done and what she was planning to do.

'Wow! You're so brave! I would never have the guts to shave my head! And you had long hair!' Karen expressed her amazement.

'I almost feel bad having long hair now!' said Tania.

'Oh no, don't feel like that. You have lovely hair' said Florence and the others agreed.

'Can I shave mine?' asked Daisy.

'No way!' said Tania.

'So, you didn't shave yours then, Nikki?' asked Jenny jovially. 'Just changed your colour?'

'Um…yes. I'm not as bold as Florence either. Although I admit I might have been more tempted if we had been stuck in that school hall with nowhere to wash our hair for much longer!'

'Tell me about it!' said Tania. 'I think a lot of people might have gone for the shave if we hadn't got out when we did!'

'Indeed. So, I just decided to give up being blonde instead!'

'And I'm not even bold enough to do that!' signed Karen. 'Well, I hope it all works out with the online counselling service. Something like that could have helped…well it could have years ago'

'Well, whatever it is you could talk to someone online…even now if it would help?' suggested Nikki.

'I don't think I need to talk to someone myself now, but I could help others, depending on how many areas are covered'

'I would like to think there would be no limit' said Florence. 'Although I don't know how realistic that is?'

'I suppose what it needs is for as many people as possible, who have survived different things, and who would be willing to take the time to listen to and advise others going through them too, to commit to being there whenever someone needs them' said Jenny. 'I would be happy to be there for cancer survivors and anyone going through treatment'

'Really? It would be wonderful to have you on board!' said Florence with delight.

'And I could identify anyone that might have PTSD' said Nikki.

'Brilliant, my new best friend is in!' Florence smiled.

'You know, I survived something myself once' said Tania. 'When Daisy was three, I became pregnant again but had a stillbirth. It was so horrible…the baby was fully formed, a little boy, but there were complications that were picked up too late and he didn't survive. My womb was also so badly damaged that I was unable to have any more children, and in fact I could have died had the damage not been discovered just on time'

'Oh, my goodness, I am so sorry. That must have been traumatic!' said Jenny.

'It was. But it means I could administer to any women who have suffered miscarriage or stillbirth and possibly those who are unable to conceive. Although I was lucky enough to have my Daisy' she smiled at her daughter who was standing beside her.

'It would be good to have you on board, Tania' Florence touched her shoulder. Karen appeared to be on the verge of saying something.

'Listen, I'd just like to make it clear, though, that I hold no grudge against any woman who may be pregnant' said Tania. 'I am honestly happy for them' she said this looking at Karen.

'You…didn't think I was pregnant, did you?' Karen was shocked.

'I did wonder to be honest since you bought water and juice for yourself when we were shopping rather than wine, and you also seem to be on the verge of telling us something now?'

'Oh my gosh!' Karen was mortified. 'No, I am not pregnant. Heavens, I'm fifty-two and my home life is already complicated with my teenage daughters and Adam's teenage son coming together, without a baby coming into the equation! No. What I was contemplating sharing with you, and which I will now since you have all shared your stories, and the reason I don't drink alcohol…is because I am a recovering alcoholic'

'Really? You don't seem like an addict at all!' gasped Florence.

'Not all addicts are stereotypes' Jenny told her.

'I suppose I have a lot to learn' Florence admitted.

'So, you're a survivor too?' Nikki put to Karen.

'I suppose I am. If I hadn't taken control of my problem when I did it could have eventually killed me!'

'So, you could counsel people with addictions if you were willing?' Tania looked between Karen and Florence.

'Absolutely, I'll do what I can!'

'So…we're all survivors!' Nikki addressed the whole group.

'Group hug!' said Jenny and they all came together.

'Me too…I survived the storm!' insisted Daisy.

'Come on then!' Tania brought her daughter in.

'Hello, am I interrupting something?' a male voice appeared outside the group.

'Oh, hi Brian' Tania greeted her husband. 'This is Florence, and this is Nikki' he shook their hands and the reminders of who they were and the story as to why they had come to the villa was told.

'What can I say? Well done, Florence and glad to hear you are all going to be part of this big plan!' Brian acknowledged. 'Now, girls, I'm afraid I have some bad news…rather embarrassing actually. I took the barbecue to the outdoor store to get it looked at, but it was closed. I tried to get a couple of disposable ones from the supermarket, but they were all sold out as there are a lot of barbecues taking place across the island today. So, it looks like we won't be able to put on a barbecue for you today. I'm really sorry'

'Oh, don't worry, these things happen' said Karen. 'Perhaps we could all go out for a meal together?'

'Yes, that would be fine. We can do the barbecue another day' agreed Jenny.

'I feel terrible' said Tania.

'Please don't' said Karen.

'Actually, I have an idea, two ideas in fact' said Florence. 'First of all, one of my brothers is an engineer and might be able to fix your barbecue. Unfortunately, he is on the other side of the island seeing his girlfriend today, but he will be working again tomorrow, and I'll ask him to come over. He won't charge as much as they would at the outdoor store'

'Well, that would be good at least, thank you' said Brian.

'And secondly' Florence went on 'We are about to have a barbecue at Jack's – Inspector Mooney's - place just along the beach. We have far too much food just for the seven of us that are going to be there, and such a big barbecue. I am sure Jack would be happy for you all to join us'

'Are you sure?' said Jenny. 'There are eight of us altogether and would it not be a bit weird for him to have former suspects at his home?'

'The case is closed, and you are no longer suspects. I'll give him a quick call to warn him, but I am sure it will be fine'

'Really, this is very kind of you. We will repay the favour when we get our barbecue working again!' said Tania.

After making the call to Jack, Florence noticed that the jet ski man was still on the shore and waved to him.

'You know what?' she said to her new friends 'I think I fancy a ride on this thing. Something I've been meaning to do for years but never gotten around to. Anyone fancy joining me?' she looked round at the others.

'I've had my fun already – once is enough!' said Jenny. 'Plus, I want to save some energy for this barbecue'

'Well, it's definitely not for me!' said Tania. 'And Daisy's already had her promised ride'

'It's a definite no for me too!' exclaimed Karen.

'Nikki?' Florence tried to persuade her new bestie.

'I think I'll pass if you don't mind. I had a ride on your police bike yesterday and I think I've had enough fast things after that! And I had thought nothing could scare me!'

'Are you talking about that old motor bike and sidecar we saw outside the school?' asked Karen. 'Is that even safe?'

'I hope so!' said Nikki. 'But it did feel like I was going to end up in a ditch!'

'It's perfectly safe, don't you worry, I wouldn't let Ruby put you in danger!' Florence assured her. 'Well, since nobody wants to join me, I'll just have a quick ride by myself. Then I'll show you to the shack'

'The shack?' Brian was astonished. 'I had imagined the detective living in a fine house!'

'Oh, it's a fine house for this part of the world' said Florence. 'And it has a great view. Wait until you see it! Ok, I'm off now, see you in a bit!' and with that she stripped to her bikini and ran to join the jet skier.

'Oh, to be young and fit and good looking!' sighed Jenny as she noticed how confident Florence looked in her swimwear.

'I keep forgetting how young she is' remarked Nikki. 'She's been through so much'

'It's sad isn't it?' said Tania. 'OK, Daisy, come on in and we'll get the salads we prepared packed up to take to this shack, shall we?'

'Ok' Daisy said reluctantly. Brian also followed his wife and daughter inside.

'She's a lovely kid too' said Jenny. 'Very good. I'll have to invite the three of them over and introduce her to my daughter when we're back home. She would surely be a good influence on her'

'Do you have any family?' Karen asked Nikki.

'No. No I don't' said Nikki.

'Oh well, you're not missing the teenage tantrums!' Jenny assured her.

'Still, it must be fun when they're little surely?' Nikki asked.

'Most of the time, yes!' said Karen. 'But hard work too!'

'You know…I haven't told many people this' said Nikki 'But a few months ago I thought I was pregnant. I mean…it would have been very difficult if I had been since my boyfriend and I live in different countries…and with work, the amount of hours I have to put in…but when I found out it was a false alarm, part of me was relieved, but another part of me was…disappointed'

'Wow' said Jenny.

'Well, I'm sure you've still got time to have a family if it's what you really want, Nikki?' said Karen.

'Not much' she said.

'Well, you never know' said Jenny. 'Do you think your boyfriend will eventually move over here or would you join him where he lives?'

'We've spoken about it but haven't agreed where we would live yet!'

'Well, he'd better get a move on!' Jenny laughed.

'Where does he live?' asked Karen.

'Washington' replied Nikki.

'And would you be able to get a job over there?' asked Jenny.

'To be honest, I haven't really looked into it' Nikki admitted.

'A scary step?' asked Karen.

'Yes, I suppose it is. I guess I was hoping Matt would come to London, but I don't think he's keen. He has a family from a previous relationship you see'

'Ah. So, it would be up to you to make the move then, really?' said Jenny frankly.

'I guess you're right, realistically' Nikki became thoughtful for a moment. At that point Tania came out.

'Sorry, I meant to ask if you wanted a shower after your water adventure, Jenny?'

'That would be great, thank you' said Jenny.

'I'll get another towel for Florence when she gets back. In the meantime, why don't you all come over and sit down and have some juice'


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 – A Big Beach Barbecue

Jack sighed as he got off the phone to Florence.

'What's the matter?' asked Catherine.

'Well…it turns out we are going to need all the food after all!' Jack informed the others.

'Why? Who's coming?' asked Ruby.

'Another eight people apparently. The group from Manchester that we were investigating plus their friends from the Plage De Sol! Apparently their barbecue is broken'

'I don't think I have socialised with suspects before!' said J P. 'This will be a first…except for one occasion when a friend of mine was a suspect but that was different'

'It should make the evening interesting!' Ruby looked at the situation positively.

'Yes, we should give them a chance' said Rosie.

'You don't seem too happy about this' Catherine addressed Jack as their younger companions began to laugh together.

'It's just…' he tried to explain. 'Florence is just so kind and it does make sense when we have a big working barbecue and so much food. And it sounds like the girls have bonded and that's great but…I'm just not sure how I will get on with the men. They're around my age, the youngest two anyway, so I should probably entertain them…but they just don't strike me as being my type and I can't imagine what I will talk about with them. They also hated me two days ago. I don't know how this evening is going to go at all!'

'Well, I wouldn't write them off too soon' Catherine advised him. 'I heard bits of their conversation in the bar earlier. They do like to make lewd jokes about women, and I get that's not really you, but they were also talking about how great a detective you are, so they have definitely changed their minds about you since the murder investigation ended. The slightly older one fancies me, you know. I can't help but find him quite charming!'

'Are you falling in love, Catherine?!'

'No, but since he's only looking for a holiday romance, I know the type you see, I don't see why I can't enjoy a bit of attention for a while!'

'You astonish me!'

'You might just astonish yourself. You don't get much male company your own age on the island so it could be good for you to have the company of these men'

'Yes, I suppose you are right. I was actually thinking about that earlier today'

'Well, there you go! Ah, here come the girls plus one man' Catherine indicated the group that was approaching, led by Florence. 'Hello everyone!' she called.

'Yes, welcome to the shack!' added Jack.

'Thank you so much for having us, Inspector. You've very much saved our skins!' said Tania.

'It's no problem, and please call me Jack' Jack insisted.

'Hi, I'm Ruby, as you may remember' the young officer came forward to meet the new arrivals 'and this is J P and his wife Rosie'

'Delighted to meet you all in a personal capacity' said Karen.

'We brought our supplies so we shouldn't run out of food!' Brian assured Jack.

'Thank you so much. So, it looks like we're going to be eating leftovers for a week after all!' he joked, looking at the amount they had brought. 'Would you like to get some of your meat cooking?'

'Yes, sure' Brian followed Jack over to the barbecue.

'You can put the drinks on the table on the porch' Catherine indicated to Tania and Karen who were carrying bags containing bottles of wine and soft drinks respectively.

'Salads here!' J P ushered Jenny and Nikki, who were carrying Tania's salads, into the shack and showed them the indoor table where the cold foods were laid out.

'Wow! You were right about the view!' Jenny remarked to Florence once they were outside again and had all poured themselves a drink.

'Wait until you see the sunset!' she got her new friend more excited.

At that point there was a clinking of bottles as the remainder of the party appeared around the side of the shack.

'Is this the police barbecue we've been invited to?' smiled Adam as he spotted the others and confirmed they had found the right place. Pete and David followed behind, both carrying bags.

'Yes, welcome boys' said Jack. 'Thank you for coming and for bringing some extra beers and nibbles!'

'It's really good of you to have us' said Pete.

'Something smells good!' remarked David, noticing that the food on the barbecue was almost ready.

'Hey Pete, come over here!' shouted Jenny. 'Come and see what this girl has done!'

'Oh, my goodness!' he went over and put his hand to his mouth in shock when he saw Florence.

'I had no idea I could inspire such deeds!' Jenny laughed.

'Gosh, that was bold. Thank you for lifting Jenny's spirits' Pete hugged her.

Adam looked over to where Pete had gone. 'Jeez! The detective girl's shaved her head!' he gasped.

'Jings, she must be mad!' decided David.

'Hey, I've just had an idea' announced Daisy to the whole party.

'And what would that be?' asked Tania, preparing to cringe.

'I think we should all wear headscarves like Jenny. Then we'll all be the same!'

'Aww that's a lovely idea and very sweet of you to think of Florence and me' said Jenny. 'But really, there's no need for you to go to trouble to find scarves! I would have put me wig on but it's too hot!'

'Actually, I have a box of them in my house beside the bar' said Catherine. 'Perhaps I'll go and get them?'

'I can go on the bike?!' suggested Ruby. 'It'll be quicker'

'How many beers have you had?' asked Jack.

'Just the one, I'm perfectly fit to ride the bike!' she assured him. After she had set off, Catherine went into the shack and began cutting open buns.

'Can I help you with that?' asked David.

'I suppose it would get the job done quicker' she agreed, and David grabbed another knife. Catherine couldn't help noticing that David had had a shave since earlier on and that he was wearing a smarter polo shirt and trousers than he had been wearing before. He must really like me, she thought.

'So, you must enjoy cooking?' he asked her.

'Yes, I do, just as well when I have so much of it to do at the bar! Do you?'

'I'm starting to. I usually only cook for myself, but since I've been running the café I told you about I have had to learn how to make a good sandwich and how to arrange salads and cake displays'

'Sounds like fun, but it must be a challenge at busy times?'

'Yes, it is, and very different from what I did before'

'And what was that?'

'I was a management consultant'

'That's a good job, surely? Did you fancy a change?'

'It's a long story…but yes, it's been interesting doing something different for a change' He hoped she wouldn't ask any more questions about his job situation.

'I know what you mean. I decided to leave the busy life in Paris many years ago and come over here to set up a bar. It was a challenge, but I am glad I did it!'

Before long the buns were ready and the food cooked, and everybody helped themselves to various meats, fish prepared by Catherine, buns, salads, the local crisps and a variety of drinks.

'Good afternoon everyone!' a deep voice appeared out of nowhere, and the whole party turned to see that the Commissioner had appeared.

'Commissioner! I didn't know you were coming!' exclaimed Jack.

'I can see that' the Commissioner looked around at the large gathering. 'Hmmm, you invited some of the suspects from the Gavin Harper case over, Inspector? I think that must be against some regulation or other!'

'It was my idea!' Florence rushed to Jack's defence. 'I invited them…kind of sprung it on Inspector Mooney so really not his fault!'

'I was only joking, Detective Sergeant Cassell!' the Commissioner almost smiled. 'What happened to your hair?' She explained.

'A very…noble gesture' The Commissioner looked all around him. 'Is my niece not here?'

'Oh, Ruby has gone to Catherine's to pick up a box of head scarves' J P informed him.

'Head scarves, Officer Hooper?'

'The girls decided to all wear them' J P explained.

'I see' The Commissioner turned to Jack again. 'Now, forgive me for addressing you in front of your…friends, but I came over to congratulate you again on your conclusion of the Harper case. Mr Harper's family flew over today and asked me to let you know they are grateful to you for getting them justice. The trial will begin on Guadeloupe next week.

'Well, that's good' said Jack. 'And as I said yesterday, I was just doing my job!'

'Indeed. And is Dr Alexander not here?'

'Yes, I'm here Commissioner' Nikki turned around to face him.

'Ah, your hair has changed as well. It's hard for me to keep up…well, anyway, I wanted to thank you again for carrying out the post-mortem on Gavin Harper. Your report has been submitted to the lab on Guadeloupe along with the body, and I am pleased to say it has been decided that there is not to be a second post-mortem as your one was thorough and conclusive. The body is to be released to Gavin's family tomorrow'

'Thank you, Sir, and that's good news for the family' said Nikki.

'You know, Doctor, if you ever felt like a change of scenery and be closer to your new friends, I am sure you would get a job on Guadeloupe. There was a comment made that they wished you worked for them!'

'Wow! Well, if I fancy a change I will keep this in mind! Thank you'

'And did you like my surprise?'

'Surprise?'

'What, have you not been at your hotel today?'

'Not since midday when I went to meet Florence. Why?'

'Ah, I think I'd better call my niece and get her to run another errand' Nikki looked at the others in confusion as the Commissioner moved to a spot where he could get a signal to make the call.

'So, what do you do for a living, Adam?' Jack asked when Adam came over for a burger.

'I'm an IT Manager'

'Good for you. I find computers frustrating!'

'They're not all bad when you know what you're doing. Your job sounds much more exciting, though'

'Believe me, it's not the glorified job the detective programmes make it out to be! It's a big responsibility and very hard work!'

'What part of Ireland are you from?'

'I'm from Cork. What about you?'

'Coleraine, near Belfast. But I've lived in Manchester for most of my life and consider it home'

'I've been in London, Hampshire and here but I'll always consider Ireland home!'

'I guess the troubles weren't so bad in the south?'

'I suppose not. I hope there'll be a lasting peace one day'

'You and I and every Irish person on the planet! And probably everyone else too!'

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the police bike arriving back. Everyone looked over as Ruby got down from the bike and removed her helmet, before going around and opening the door of the sidecar. She took a cardboard box from a pair of hands, and once the box was out of the way, a tall, dark-haired man with a thin moustache and beard emerged.

'Matt!' gasped Nikki and ran into his arms.

'Nikki! I'm glad to finally see you!' he seemed a little put out.

'But…I had no idea you were coming! You said you couldn't get a flight and you weren't answering your phone this morning!'

'Well, that's because I was on an airplane. The Commissioner you've been working for got me a chartered flight this morning and I arrived at two. Sorry, I assumed you knew!'

'No, I think it was supposed to be a surprise. Oh, I'm so sorry. Have you been waiting at the hotel all this time?'

'Yes, I have, but let's not worry about it anymore. Come here' he gave her a big hug and kiss, then looked at her. 'You dyed your hair?!'

'Yes, I accompanied Florence, you'll meet her in a minute, to the hairdresser because she wanted to donate her hair and shave her head, and I got inspired to do something daring too'

'Well, I'm glad you didn't shave your head! Anyway, I suppose you'd better introduce me to your friends'

'Everyone, this is Matt' announced Nikki and the whole group came over to meet him. 'I hope you don't mind one more guest, Jack?'

'Oh no, not at all. Pleased to meet you, Matt'

'A pleasure' said Matt. 'You must be the famous Inspector Mooney?'

'That's me'

'Ah, are you Florence?' he asked Jenny.

'Um…no, I'm just the inspiration, but thank you for the compliment! I'm Jenny'

'Well, it's nice to meet you Jenny'

'And this is Florence' Nikki brought her friend over. 'And this is Matt'

'Pleased to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Nikki' Matt addressed the younger woman.

'I've heard all about you too. I'm glad you've been able to get over here'

'I'm glad too. And well done for the head shave!'

The Commissioner walked past at that point.

'Oh Commissioner, thank you very much for getting Matt over. I just wish you'd told me'

'Ah, yes, sorry about that, should have realised you'd be out and about. Oh, and before I forget, I have spoken to your boss… Professor Cumberland?'

'Professor Chamberlain'

'Ah yes, Professor Chamberlain. I told him all about your good work and he has granted you another whole week's leave to spend here with your man'

'Oh, that's fantastic news, thank you for calling him'

He turned to the whole group 'Well, I suppose I'll be going'

'Oh no, Uncle Selly, please stay!' Ruby begged him.

'No, I'll save the food for all the others. You have fun'

'Don't be silly, Uncle Selly, there's more than enough food!' Ruby indicated all the meat that was still cooking on the barbecue, and the plates of salad and snacks that had barely been broken into.

'I suppose I'll stay for a little while' he agreed and grabbed a plate.

Ruby then helped Daisy to distribute the head scarves to the women and a few minutes later they were all sporting different colours from Catherine's collection. Ruby had to get help from Catherine herself to get a scarf over her big hair, but they got there in the end. The afternoon turned to evening and the group continued to get more acquainted. Even Daisy, who was expecting to be bored among all the grown-ups, was having fun with some of the younger adults. Ruby showed her a hairstyle app and helped her to design wigs for Jenny and Florence, each one crazier looking than the last. Then she gav ridiculous looking Mohican and Rosie an asymmetrical green coloured look. They also had a game of frisbee which they persuaded Florence and Nikki to join in with but not Matt, who was now talking to Pete.

'So, where in the States are you from?' Pete asked Matt.

'I'm originally from LA but I live and work in Washington. What about you? Where in England are you from?'

'I'm Manchester born and bred and have never left!'

'I've never been to Manchester, just London'

'Would you live there?'

'I'm not sure. I've been settled in Washington for so long and would find it hard to move again now, especially abroad'

'So, if things work out between you and Nikki will she be happy to move to Washington?'

'I hope so'

'I know all about being attached to a place. Several years ago, I had a friend whose wife was offered a job in New York but he couldn't bring himself to leave Manchester. So, his wife left and went without him'

'And did he go eventually, or did the wife ever come back?'

'He never went. His wife came back after just over a year, but in that time they had already gotten divorced and my friend had got married again to someone he had entered into a relationship with on the rebound. And his wife had become pregnant to someone else!'

'Oh, my goodness, what a mess!'

'Yes, indeed. But it turned out they still loved each other and they got back together and have stayed in Manchester ever since'

'Aww a happy ending!'

'For the large part. But my friend nearly lost his wife again a few months ago, this time to a life- threatening illness. She is OK now but having been through that my friend swears he will never be separated from his wife again. Nowadays he would go anywhere with her'

'Ah' Matt realised Pete was really talking about himself and Jenny. 'Well, thank you for sharing your _friend's_ story'

Once everyone had had enough to eat the barbecue was left to cool and those who were not playing frisbee gathered just beneath the porch, sitting on plastic chairs or whatever they could find.

'Oh, to be young and fit!' said Jenny, remembering a time when she would have joined in the game.

'It's nice to see Florence enjoying herself' said Karen, watching her almost falling over to catch the frisbee when J P had thrown it too high.

'Yes' agreed Jack, unable to take his eyes off her. 'I've missed seeing that smile on her face'

'Look at that! Daisy's got him back for her!' Brian laughed as his daughter threw the frisbee into J P's back when it was turned.

'Ouch, you fiend!' he yelled at her and they all laughed.

'Daisy, be nice!' shouted Tania and the teenager rolled her eyes. J P passed the frisbee to Rosie who caught it with ease, then sent it flying over Ruby's head and into the sea.

'Oops!' Rosie bowed her head as Ruby waded in to retrieve it.

'Nikki, catch!' Ruby called, sending the frisbee flying in completely the wrong direction, almost hitting Adam, who was unsuspectingly sitting drinking a beer.

'Here, Nikki!' Adam passed it to its intended recipient. Nikki threw it to Florence before taking a seat underneath the porch beside Matt, panting for breath.

'Gosh, that was fun, but I think I'm getting too old for it!' she sighed.

'Never!' said Jenny, getting one of Nikki's beautiful smiles.

'You know, I've just had an idea' said Karen and everyone looked at her with interest. 'The stories we were all sharing earlier, our survivor stories. I was just thinking…why don't we put them into a book? It could inspire and help others'

'That's a great idea!' said Nikki.

'Do you think it would sell?' asked Jenny.

'I believe so, and I know. I'd give you all a discount for publishing!' she laughed.

'We'll have to speak to Florence when she's finished her game' said Tania. 'It all started with Florence wanting to set up the online service'

'I'm already looking forward to reading this book!' said Catherine, who had just come out onto the porch after she and David had put empty plates and cups into plastic bags.

'Thank you for doing that, both of you' said Jack.

'It's no problem' said David. 'You need some relaxation time after all the cooking you've done!'

'And you're meant to be guests' he reminded him.

'I feel bad about doing nothing now!' said Matt.

'Anything else we can do?' asked Pete.

'Just relax!' Jack insisted.

'Your view is fantastic' Brian remarked. 'Even better than ours a few miles along!'

'I can just imagine sitting out here with your little TV on the table watching the football with a beer!' said Adam. 'Better than watching it in one of our living rooms or down the pub!'

'That would be ace!' agreed Pete.

'What team do you guys support?' asked Jack.

'Manchester United of course' said David. 'Although these two are bigger supporters than me'

'I'm a City fan myself' confessed Brian.

'Shame on you!' teased Adam.

'They're both good teams' said Jack. 'I'm more a Portsmouth supporter myself having lived in Hampshire but rarely watch any matches'

'They were a good team for a while' remarked Pete.

There were loud cheers from down on the beach when Florence caught the frisbee after making a very long run for it. The other players lifted her up in a victory display. She looked up and caught Jack's eye before he felt the need to look away. He glanced inside the shack and noticed the photo of Kathleen which tripped his guilt again. 'Excuse me a moment, I'll just go and get some more beers out' he made the excuse to disappear for a few minutes to himself.

'Let me help you with that' Adam got up and insisted on following him inside.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 – A Caribbean Sunset

Jack went over to the fridge and began taking out bottles of beer.

'This stuff's good' Adam indicated the special Sainte-Marie beer.

'Yes, it can't be beaten. Much better than the stuff we get at home'

'I've really enjoyed this evening. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves. Except maybe for your Commissioner? He's been rather quiet'

'Oh, that's just him. I'm glad it's going so well. I admit I was nervous about you all coming at first'

'You needn't have worried, you're a great host'

'Thanks'

'Who's this lovely lady?' Adam indicated the photo of Kathleen.

'That's my wife Kathleen. She died'

'Oh, I'm so sorry. Was this recent?'

'Almost three years ago. I still miss her, though'

'You will. It takes a lot of time. I lost my wife too, you know'

'Really?'

'Yes, seventeen years ago now. Car accident. I struggled for many years and would probably have ended up harming myself if it wasn't for my son. He was just a baby when my Rachel died'

'Gosh, that must have been hard for you, having to raise your son on your own, but at the same time, it would surely have been a good thing he was too young to know what had happened? My daughter was eighteen when she lost her mum to cancer and it hurt me to see her in pain and not be able to take it from her'

'Yes, I suppose it was a blessing, although my son is starting to ask a lot of questions about his mum and wishing he had known her'

'Listen, if you don't mind me asking…how long was it before you started dating again?'

'Well, that's an interesting question. I've never been as good a man as you seem to be and was always known as a womaniser before I met Rachel'

'I'm sure you are a good man!'

'Thank you, but I've always been a rascal when it comes to women. Two or three years after Rachel died, I did start seeing other women, but it was mostly just one-night stands. I went back to my old ways and didn't really grow up until I fell in love with Karen a few months ago' Adam looked up at Jack, who appeared to be on the verge of telling him something. 'Is there something you'd like to talk about? I know we barely know each other, and I have confessed to being a rogue, but I understand a lot of what you're going through, and I can be discreet when it matters'

'Well….' Jack poured out the story of what had happened with Florence the evening before. He was expecting a reproach, but when he looked up at Adam he had a big smile on his face.

'Ah yes, I see what's happening. I liked the young ones too until very recently. She's a very attractive girl, even with no hair, and if I'd met her a year ago I'd have been chasing after her too, and I wouldn't have stopped when you did, believe me!'

'So, are you saying this is normal?'

'Whatever normal is…I'm just saying that when I think about it now I believe I was just fooling around because I was still devoted to Rachel in my heart and wasn't ready for another committed relationship, but I missed…certain aspects of being in a relationship, if you know what I mean'

'I think I do, but I'm not sure whether that's the case with me. I think it might be that I'm lacking a close friend here. Florence took that role when she lived on the island and worked with me, and I think I just missed her company more than anything and wish she was staying'

'Well, that's just another part of a relationship. A more important part. You're a completely different person from me, and I guess you knew much sooner than I did what is really important and you are searching for that again'

'I suppose that makes sense, thank you'

'So, please don't beat yourself up any more. You know, I admit I'm glad to discover that the great Detective Inspector Jack Mooney has a human side!'

'What, did you think I was some kind of virtuous superhuman?!'

'No, I suppose I just imagined police officers to be perfect!'

'And now you're saying I'm not!' they both laughed.

'Forgive me for asking…but do you ever talk to your wife, or even see her?' Adam then asked.

'Oh, I talk to her photo all the time, as if she's here! It feels good sometimes even though she can't answer me. But no, I don't see her. I think that would freak me out!'

'Well, please don't be freaked out, but I used to see Rachel. It gave me comfort'

'I guess we all have different ways of coping'

'Yes. I wonder if we need to write a book and set up an online counselling service for men, like the girls are doing?'

'I think that would be a good idea, although I don't know how I would find the time to do my bit'

'And listen, you would be welcome to join Pete and David and myself for a beer after your work any evening while we're on the island. We'll be inviting Brian as well, so you won't feel like the only outsider'

'That would be good, thank you'

'Hey, what's happened to the drinks?' Catherine came in to find out what was happening.

'Sorry, help yourself Catherine' said Jack. 'We were having an in-depth discussion and lost track of time'

'Ah, sorry to interrupt in that case. Shall I take out some of these beers and leave you be?'

'I think we're ready to re-join the others, so we'll all take some' said Adam, picking up a few bottles. They were greeted by a loud shout from Ruby when they were back outside.

'Look everyone! One of our very best sunsets!' The whole large group looked out to sea and gasped at the enormous sun, which was lighting up the sky in yellow around it, transitioning through orange to red higher up. The sea below appeared blue and purple and it was the most spectacular sight those who did not live on the island had ever seen. All their phones and cameras came out and countless photos were taken. Then the selfies started, couples and small groups were photographed together with this beautiful sight in the background, then there was a call for a big group photo. The Commissioner did the honours and took the picture with all the devices.

'Shall we take a little walk?' Matt asked Nikki and the pair strolled a few yards along the beach. The other couples began to do the same, and the single people who remained stood and looked on from the porch. Daisy ran around with her phone taking sneaky photos of all the couples before she got told off by her parents.

'I'm so glad I was able to stay up for this!' Jenny took her eyes away from the sunset for a moment to look into Pete's.

'Seeing something so beautiful gives you a feeling of hope, doesn't it?' Pete reflected.

'I'd like to believe it's a sign I'll be OK from now on, that I don't need to worry about my next mammogram'

'Well, just imagine it does for now and enjoy this moment!'

'I've enjoyed my whole day. Our new friends are so lovely, especially Florence and Nikki'

'Such big hearts. I hope Florence finds happiness in time'

'I'm sure she will. And Nikki too – I must admit Matt is nothing like I imagined. He seems nice enough, but I don't think she's too keen to move to the states'

'I was talking to him earlier – he's not keen on moving to London either, but I told him a little story that might have given him some food for thought'

'What story?'

'Our story'

'Oh Pete!' she playfully punched him, and they embraced and looked at the sunset for a bit longer.

Daisy had just taken a photo of J P and Rosie kissing.

'Oi! Go away!' yelled J P.

'She's just having fun. I'm sure she won't post it anywhere!'

'How can you be so sure?'

'She's a good kid really'

'I guess she is' they were silent for a moment, then Rosie looked at J P seriously.

'I was thinking…do you think it's about time we started a family?' J P was thoroughly taken aback, and did not feel ready for this step, but he tried to hide it, afraid Rosie would be upset if he told her the truth.

'Um…I suppose we could try' he muttered, but he hoped it wouldn't happen straight away.

Karen and Adam were watching the multi-coloured waves coming towards them, and retreating again, as if taking the cares of the world away.

'I wish I could stay here with you forever and not have to go home to all our problems' Adam whispered.

'That would be nice…although I'd feel bad for leaving the kids' Karen admitted.

'Do you think they will all come around to us being together eventually?'

'Once they all go off to University, I'm sure. I guess it depends what happens between Matthew and Olivia'

'Who knows, they're still so young'

'Yes. Anyway, you and the Great Inspector seemed to be getting on very well. What were you talking about?'

'Oh, you know, just men's stuff'

'So, do you think the man who arrested you could become your friend?' Adam reflected for a moment.

'It's strange to think about it, but yes, I think he could!'

'Well, here's to friends old and new'

'But we don't have our glasses out here'

'There are other ways to make a toast' and with that she drew him in for a long kiss.

Nikki and Matt stopped several metres away from any of the others and put their arms around each other.

'So…we're finally on this beautiful island together! And for a whole week after all!' Matt smiled.

'Yes, isn't this fantastic?' Nikki agreed.

'I hope I'll get you to myself for some of the time'

'Of course you will. You were the reason I came in the first place!'

'I'm glad. I like your friends, though. They are all so different but somehow they all seem to get along!'

'Our experiences during the storm, and the fact we are all survivors of one kind or another really helps'

'What was it really like?'

'Scary, but I ended up being so busy I hardly noticed the discomfort a lot of the time'

'And how did it make you feel?'

'Like…I want to embrace life. So many of these people I have met have lost the loves of their lives, or suffered with illness, either their own or that of a loved one. I'm so happy to have met you, Matt, and I think we should try to figure out how to make this relationship work, for real'

'You mean…live in the same country?'

'Yes'

'Wow!...you know, I did see an advert for a job at the University of Washington as a lecturer in Forensic Anthropology'

Nikki's heart sank a little. 'That does sound like a good job…but I don't know if I really fancy lecturing. I prefer to be hands-on, actually working in the field'

'Ah' Matt was quiet for a moment. 'Well, I did see another job advert'

'Oh? And what was that?'

'It was a job at the US Embassy in London. They were looking for my kind of experience'

'Really?' Nikki felt elated at the thought that Matt might consider joining her in London after all. 'You would be open to moving?'

'If it means being with you, then yes!'

'Oh Matt!' They looked up at the sunset for a moment before kissing, then Matt said

'Why don't we both start looking for jobs and trust that we'll end up where we're meant to be?'

'That sounds like a plan! And you know, there's always Guadeloupe'

'Guadeloupe?'

'The pathology team there were impressed with my post-mortem and practically offered me a job!'

'Sounds good for you, but I don't know what I'd do there!'

'Good point. OK, let's just consider London and Washington for now' She put her head on his shoulder and they stood a few more minutes embracing this moment.

Jack and Florence had their first proper conversation since Jack's faux pas.

'Well, I think tonight has gone very well, Florence' he began. 'I wasn't sure how it would work out at first, but I think our new friends are a good bunch'

'Yes, they are. Jenny and Karen have been very encouraging and supportive of my ideas and they are developing into bigger things. I guess we just have to put it all into practice now'

'Indeed. I hope it all works out'

'You seem to be getting on well with the men, especially Adam?'

'Yes, they're fun to be around even though they're a bit different from me, but you know what they say about variety being the spice of life?'

'No, but it sounds like a good saying!'

'I think I might have found myself some new friends, for the next week anyway'

'Well, that's nice for you'

'So, have you decided what you are going to do now, apart from the website and the book of course, I mean, where will you go?'

'Hmm, I think I'll go back to Martinique once my dad is better, I was getting some good work with the police there. Once I get help with the condition I think I have, PTSD, I might think about working on murders permanently again, getting people justice like I've always done. I might travel a bit first, though'

'Well, why not?'

'If I do, I'll miss sights like this though' she indicated the sunset.

'Yes, whenever I start missing things about Ireland or England, I just have to look at this view, especially at sunset, and I remember how lucky I am to have had the chance to live here'

'I hope we'll always be friends'

'Of course we will'

Florence put her hand on his shoulder in the way of a good friend and he dared to do the same, but he kept his eyes on the sunset in case she noticed his face getting hotter. He was actually glad when Ruby approached them and put her hand on his other shoulder.

'Inspector Mooney! Thank you for a wonderful evening! You are the best boss ever!'

'Thank you Ruby. Glad you all came'

'Come on Uncle Selly, join us!' The Commissioner reluctantly got up from his seat where he had continued to sit quietly, and his niece put her hand on his shoulder. She was determined nobody was going to be left alone to watch the sunset, not even her uncle who liked his own company. Although one person was walking alone at the moment, she had the feeling this wouldn't be for long.

David wandered down onto the beach on his own, thinking about how lovely it would be to be here watching the sunset with someone special. He did not hear Catherine approaching him.

'Quite a sight, isn't it?' she said quietly, but he still got a fright and jumped. He put a hand to his heart and smiled.

'Yes, yes, rather beautiful'

'I was awestruck the first time I ever saw it'

'How long ago was that?'

'I don't know, about thirty years or so'

'You must really love it here'

'Yes, I do. I will never leave now'

'I don't think I would either if I stayed here for more than a couple of weeks!'

'Do you think you will come back one day?'

'Who knows'

'Well, whatever happens, it's been really nice meeting you'

'Likewise'

And with that she gave him an even bigger fright by leaning over and kissing him with all the romanticism of the French. He stood back, eyes wide.

'Woooo!' the group on the steps shouted, and this got the attention of all their friends. Before David knew it, everyone knew what had happened and he was getting catcalls from Adam and Pete and he felt his face going very red as everyone looked at him in excitement. Thank goodness it was getting dark and the whole group couldn't see him blushing, especially Catherine herself, he thought. He looked over at Catherine again and saw her smiling at him, and he decided then to be bold himself and gave her a kiss back. The screams and catcalls resumed but he didn't care. He was having his holiday romance and he was going to enjoy it!


End file.
